Despite a 93-39 overall record at Penn State, a College Football Playoff berth has eluded James Franklin as the Nittany Lions have finished just outside the field multiple times. Now with the field expanded from four to 12, No. 4 Penn State is eyeing its first playoff trip and it is off to a 5-0 start this season. The next test is a cross-country trip to Los Angeles to take on USC (3-2) (on CBS/Paramount+) for the first time as Big Ten opponents in one of the big matchups on the Saturday Week 7 college football schedule.
Kickoff from LA Memorial Coliseum is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Nittany Lions are -3.5 in the latest Penn State vs. USC odds via SportsLine consensus. The over/under is 50.5. Before making any USC vs. Penn State picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It’s also on an 8-4 run on top-rated college football picks over the past two weeks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
Now, the model has dialed in on Penn State vs. USC and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college football odds for the spread, money line and over/under:
- Penn State vs. USC spread: Penn State -3.5
- Penn State vs. USC over/under: 50.5 points
- Penn State vs. USC money line: Penn State -177, USC +145
- Penn State vs. USC picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Penn State vs. USC streaming: Paramount+ (Get seven days free)
Why Penn State can cover
Junior quarterback Drew Allar deserves a lot of credit for Penn State’s perfect start. He’s completing 70.9% of his passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s done a great job of limiting mistakes, throwing just one interception and taking only six sacks on the season.
Penn State’s rushing offense ranks third in the Big Ten and it is hopeful to get running back Nicholas Singleton back this week after he missed Week 6 with an undisclosed injury. Head coach James Franklin said he’s optimistic that he’ll be able to play this week. Singleton teams up with bruiser Kaytron Allen to spearhead a rushing attack that averages 217.8 yards per game. USC, meanwhile, ranks 87th nationally in rushing defense. See picks at SportsLine.
Why USC can cover
Fully replacing Caleb Williams was never a fair ask, but Quarterback Miller Moss has done a nice job overall, completing 64.5% of his passes for nine touchdowns. He’ll be looking for a bit of a bounce-back game, however, after completing just 60.5% of passes and throwing two picks in the loss at Minnesota last week. Moss has been solid in USC’s other matchups against Power 4 squads, throwing for 308, 283 and 378 yards against Wisconsin, Michigan and LSU, respectively.
While the offense isn’t quite at 2022 and 2023 levels, the USC defense has improved. A clear weakness the past couple seasons, new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has helped improve that side of the ball as the Trojans are giving up fewer than 20 points per game despite playing a tough schedule thus far. See picks at SportsLine.
How to make USC vs. Penn State picks
SportsLine’s model is going Over on the total, projecting 58 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in 60% of simulations. You can see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Penn State vs. USC, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out, and don’t forget to stream the game on Paramount+.
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