USC vs. San Jose State Odds: USC Given 99% Chance to Beat San Jose State in Week 0
The USC Trojans start their 2023 NCAAF season against the San Jose State Spartans this weekend. USC is given a 99% chance to beat San Jose State in Week 0. Jason Radowitz provides the USC vs. San Jose State odds before the game.
Jason Radowitz - August 25, 2023, 11:16 AM EDT
5 minUSC vs. San Jose State Odds: USC Given 99% Chance to Beat San Jose State in Week 0
The USC Trojans will head into this season ranked sixth in the preseason AP Poll. They've got Championship aspirations this season. However, the Trojans have a lot of work to do, even if they have the reigning, defending Heisman winner in Caleb Williams.
USC lost its last two games to finish off their season last year. The Trojans were dominated by Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game and lost 46-45 to Tulane in the Cotton Bowl.
So, while the offense has been incredible, the defense hasn't been. That USC defense won't affect their game against the Spartans, but it'll play a major factor down the stretch.
Luckily for the Trojans, USC went out and added a lot of transfer players on the defensive end. They brought in Kyron Barrs from Arizona, Jack Sullivan from Purdue, Bear Alexander from Georgia, Jamil Muhammad from Georgia State, Anthony Lucas from Texas A&M, Mason Cobb from Oklahoma State, Tre'Quon Fegans from Alabama, and Christian Roland-Wallace from Arizona.
We'll see how much the defense changes this year.
USC vs. San Jose State Date, Time, How To Watch
Date: Saturday, August 26
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
How to watch: PAC-12 Network
USC vs. San Jose State Preview
The USC offense shouldn't have any problems scoring in this game. Lincoln Riley is an offensive genius and hired Josh Henson as his offensive coordinator.
It paid off dividends. Caleb Williams was last year's Heisman winner. He's also the betting favorite to be this year's Heisman Award winner. It's rare for a player to win the award twice, but Williams has the right pieces around him to make it happen.
Williams threw for 4,537 yards and 42 touchdowns last season. He won't have Jordan Addison around, but Dorian Singer, a transfer from Arizona, is poised to have a 1,000+ yard season. He did it with Arizona last season and is now in a better spot with USC.
Meanwhile, San Jose State finished their season last year with a 41-27 loss to Eastern Michigan. If Eastern Michigan can drop 41, what can USC do?
The defense was great at rushing the passer. But good luck getting to Caleb Williams through a perfect offensive line. The defensive line has to do a lot of replacing, and the linebackers are a bit undersized.
The secondary might be the best position group on defense for the Spartans, but I'm sure Williams will make them look silly if he has time in the pocket.
USC vs. San Jose State Odds
The USC Trojans are 31-point favorites at home against San Jose State. USC might have the chance to sit their starters in the fourth quarter. But the Trojans probably wouldn't do that unless they had a five-touchdown lead heading into the fourth quarter.
That would be enough for the cover if USC's backups held on.
The Trojans are also -9000 on the moneyline. That means they've got a 98.9% chance of winning this game outright.
Lastly, the total for this game is at 66. It'll come down to the new USC defense. How will the transfers play next to each other for the first time in a regulation game against another opponent? USC has the talent to shut the Spartans out. Time will tell.
Team | Point Spread | ML Odds | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
San Jose State | +31 | +2500 | O 66 |
USC | -31 | -9000 | U 66 |
College Football Odds
