USC vs Arizona State NCAA Football Odds
In one of the better Pac-12 matchups of the weekend, USC is set to travel to Sun Devil Stadium to take on South Division foe Arizona State.
USC (3-1, 1-0 Pac 12) @ Arizona State (2-1, 0-1 Pac 12)
Saturday, Sept. 28, 10:30 PM ET @ Sun Devil Stadium
Moneyline: USC +205, Arizona State -240
Spread: Arizona State -6
O/U: 50.5
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ASU was a top-25 team last weekend before falling on the road to No. 5 Stanford. USC, on the other hand, is coming off of a 17-14 victory, albeit against 2-2 Utah State.
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Both teams have something to prove in Week 5, but it’s the Sun Devils entering Saturday as six-point favorites.
USC
The USC Trojans have struggled on offense up to this point. They’re scoring just 22.3 points per game, which is only good enough for 95th in the FBS. A big reason for the trouble is the play at quarterback.
Despite having a bona fide star in Marquis Lee at receiver, Cody Kessler has thrown for just four touchdowns entering Week 5.
The team is 108th in passing yards per game, and an inconsistent showing on the ground has done little to help remedy the problem.
On the flip side, USC has been better than advertised on defense. The media wants to hone in on how poorly the offense is playing, but it’s the defense that has led the team to a 3-1 record thus far. Against ASU, the Trojans bring in the 11th-best scoring defense. The team is allowing just 11 points per game, and it’s proving to be proficient at stopping both the pass and the run.
Against the Sun Devils, stopping the pass is going to be crucial. ASU has become one-dimensional in its attack, causing the ground game to become virtually useless. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
USC has to get its offense going to take down Arizona State, but more importantly, it must continue to defend the pass the way it did last week against Utah State’s Chuckie Keeton.
Arizona State
At this point in the season, the Sun Devils are rushing the ball for just 108 yards per contest. That puts them at 107th in the nation in yards per game on the ground.
Through the air, ASU has been masterful through the early part of the year. They’re eighth in the country in yards per game, tallying 361.3 yards per contest.
Typically when a team is this one-sided in its attack, the game plan revolves around finding balance. No passing attack can remain successful when the defense has only one thing to stop, and establishing a ground game becomes the priority. This week, however, the opposite idea holds true.
Against USC, ASU must establish a throwing game early, and more importantly, it must stick with it. Last week against Stanford, we saw the Sun Devils rush the ball 24 times for a measly 50 yards.
USC’s defense has been especially stout against the run, meaning ASU must do what it does best.
If the Sun Devils can connect in the passing game, they’ve got this game in the bag. USC may have the more talented squad across the depth chart, but they simply haven’t put it together in their first year without Matt Barkley.
Odds makers may be hesitant to give ASU a whole touchdown in this one, but a successful pass attack and home-field advantage could be the difference when it’s all said and done.
Score Prediction: Arizona State 24 – USC 17
