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The Ohio State Buckeyes take on the USC Trojans in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
Ohio State is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -250. USC, meanwhile, enters as a +6.5 underdog and is +202 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 51.5 total points.
Here’s my Ohio State vs. USC prediction and college football pick for Saturday, October 31.
Ohio State vs USC Prediction
- Ohio State vs. USC Pick: USC Team Total Over 21.5 · Brandon Inniss Over 2.5 Receptions
My USC vs. Ohio State best bet is on the Trojans to go over their team total and Buckeyes wide receiver Brandon Inniss to go over his receptions prop. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Ohio State vs USC Odds
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -122 | 51.5 -110o / -110u | -250 |
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 +100 | 51.5 -110o / -110u | +202 |
- Ohio State vs USC point spread: Ohio State -6.5 (-122), USC +6.5 (+100)
- Ohio State vs USC over/under: 51.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Ohio State vs USC moneyline: Ohio State -250, USC +202
Ohio State vs USC College Football Preview
Ohio State Buckeyes Betting Preview: Sayin's Loss Sends QB into Reset
Ohio State narrowly escaped Bloomington with a win over Indiana before entering a bye week, but the headline is the loss of quarterback Julian Sayin.
Head coach Ryan Day indicated that the quarterback position has been reset, with Luke Fahey and Tavien St. Clair splitting reps during practice. Fahey profiled as a three-star recruit from California, taking the majority of reps at practice this week.
True freshman Fahey does have 16 dropbacks this season, completing 9-of-14 passes, including an interception against both Ball State and Kent State.
St. Clair is a redshirt freshman who also saw time against the MAC schools, tossing an interception against the Golden Flashes.
There's an expectation that both quarterbacks will play depending on the game situation.
Inside reporters have noted that the coaching staff is tailoring the playbook around the quarterbacks, with truncated route concepts and quick-out passing.
For the public viewing portion of practice, there was an influx of tunnel screens, rollouts and bootlegs.
Ohio State will need its passing attack to show up because USC's defense has been much more successful against the run than the pass.
USC Trojans Betting Preview: Riley Firmly on Hot Seat
Desperation is the word around the USC program as it heads into one of the biggest conference games of the year.
The Trojans have quickly fallen out of College Football Playoff contention after a Week 8 loss at Wisconsin, a 17-point drubbing that featured negative rushing yards on 25 attempts.
Head coach Lincoln Riley is firmly on the hot seat with rumors of a buyout to Baylor or any other potential vacant spots in the Power 4.
The offense was plagued by poor offensive line play not just on rushing attempts, but also by allowing 13 pressures on quarterback Jayden Maiava.
The senior is set to reach a career high in sacks for a season, currently at eight, down from 11 last year.
There has been no assistance in the running game of late, as USC has fallen to 127th in Rush EPA and outside the top 100 in Stuff Rate.
The defense continued to show poor execution in defending the red zone and tackling fundamentals against Wisconsin.
Coordinator Gary Patterson has been unable to get his aggressive brand to translate into Havoc, ranking 118th among FBS teams in creating chaos.
Although the rush defense has been better than the pass unit, USC sits outside the top 50 in Success Rate allowed, Defensive Line Yards and Stuff Rate against opposing runners.
Ohio State vs USC Pick, Betting Analysis
Action Network's Betting Power Ratings would have Ohio State favored by 12.5 if Sayin were active. The market has indicated a 6-point drop in the absence of the former Heisman hopeful.
The uncertainty around the offense exists not only in production but also in which quarterback will be under center.
However, there's an expectation that an increase in pass receptions could come with the receiving crew, given that the short passing game remains in scope.
If there's a target for the Buckeyes who has seen an increase in targets over the past two games, plays in the slot and has been a part of the screen and play-action calls, it's Brandon Inniss.
The expected short passing game should favor the senior who has lined up in the slot on 83% of snaps for Ohio State.
On the other side of the ball, Maiava may get a reprieve from pressures and sacks. The Buckeyes have a mid-FBS rank in producing a pass rush, generating just two sacks against Indiana.
Maiava has been fantastic in a clean pocket with 19 touchdowns and a turnover-worthy play rate under 1%.
The Trojans rank 18th in Havoc allowed, so Ohio State's tackles for loss and pressures should be limited under the Buckeyes' average for the season.
USC also owns a big advantage on third downs against the Buckeyes, so scoring opportunities will be available for the Trojans.
Pick: USC Team Total Over 21.5 · Brandon Inniss Over 2.5 Receptions
Ohio State vs USC Betting Trends
