The second-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes hit the road for a Big Ten showdown against the USC Trojans at L.A. Memorial Coliseum on Saturday evening.
Despite losing star quarterback Julian Sayin for the remainder of the season due to injury, Ohio State remains a 6.5-point road favorite to reign supreme over Lincoln Riley’s Trojans.
Below, I will break down this Week 9 matchup and provide the betting angles for a same-game parlay that you can take when wagering on Saturday’s action!
So, here are my USC vs. Ohio State picks and college football parlay for college football Week 9 on Saturday, October 31.
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USC vs. Ohio State Picks, Parlay
- Ohio State ML (-245)
- Jeremiah Smith 90+ Receiving Yards (-185)
Parlay Odds:+126 (DraftKings)
Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
USC vs Ohio State Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -108 | 50.5 -120o / +100u | +200 |
| Ohio State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -112 | 50.5 -120o / +100u | -245 |
Moneyline Pick: Ohio State ML (-245)
For the first leg of our SGP for Saturday night’s conference clash, I feel confident backing Ryan Day’s Buckeyes on the moneyline in what could be a closely contested game down the stretch.
While the Trojans stock took a major hit this past weekend when Lincoln Riley’s bunch got embarrassed by Wisconsin by 17 points in Madison, USC still boasts an elite offense led by quarterback Jayden Maiava — one of the best players in all of college football.
Though most were extremely high on Julian Sayin prior to his season-ending injury, I was always under the impression that he was a tad overrated, with a great deal of his success resulting from an elite offensive line and freakish playmaker in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
While a decision has yet to be made on who will be starting for the Buckeyes under center on Saturday night, we do know that Day will be choosing between Luke Fahey and Tavien St Clair.
Both QBs were extremely highly touted coming out of high school, and while it may take some time to adjust to the college game, this is still an Ohio State team that's far superior to USC on both sides of the football.
Sure, the Trojans boast an elite offensive unit and now hold a definitive edge at the QB position, but this is a USC program that has dropped the ball in huge games time and again.
Despite the uncertainty under center, Ohio State is the far more reliable team of the two, and I would be surprised if it didn't leave the Coliseum with an outright victory on Saturday night.
Ohio State Player Prop: Jeremiah Smith 90+ Receiving Yards (-185)
Given Sayin’s season-ending injury, we're provided with a rare opportunity to back Ohio State’s generational receiver in Jeremiah Smith at a discount — and that's exactly what I'll be buying into.
For a program consistently churning out elite receivers, including the likes of Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Chris Olave, Smith still may be the most talented offensive player to ever suit up in Columbus.
The junior wideout has already racked up 984 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns thus far, and I don't expect his elite production to take as big a hit as betting markets appear to suggest.
Smith is still the best player in all of college football, and I feel great backing the Buckeyes' phenom to record at least 90 receiving yards on Saturday night at -185.
You can back my Saturday night SGP at DraftKings at +126.
USC vs. Ohio State Same-Game Parlay
- Ohio State ML (-245)
- Jeremiah Smith 90+ Receiving Yards (-185)
Parlay Odds: +126 (DraftKings)
