CFB Picks 10/25: Trojans To Slay Buffaloes
Friday night features only one game on the college football slate, and it’s a PAC-12 matchup between USC and Colorado.
USC Trojans (-13.5) @ Colorado Buffaloes, 9:00 PM:
The Trojans and Buffaloes square off in a battle between the best and worst teams in the PAC-12 South.
USC (4-3, 3-1 CONF) snapped a two-game losing streak in a commanding 41-14 win over the Arizona Wildcats.
Freshman quarterback Kedon Slovis was sharp, completing 19-of-28 for 232 yards and two touchdowns.
Fellow freshman Kenan Christon made the most of his opportunities in his first collegiate game at running back rushing for 103 yards and two touchdowns on eight carries.
Christon did all of his work in the fourth quarter as a fifth stringer after the first three tailbacks on the depth chart were hurt and the fourth fumbled.
USC’s defense was stellar as well totaling six sacks and holding the Wildcats’ starting offense to 167 yards and zero points through three quarters.
The Colorado Buffaloes (3-4, 1-3 CONF) struggled on the road and lost a third consecutive game, falling to the Washington State 41-10.
Senior quarterback Steven Montez couldn’t get anything going, completing 16-of-30 for 129 yards and two interceptions.
Running back Alex Fontenot was the lone bright spot for Colorado, rushing 11 times for 105 yards. The sophomore rushed for over 100 yards for the second time this season and the first time since the season opener.
Both teams mirror their overall records against the spread this season (USC 4-3, Colorado 3-4).
The need-to-know information comes from the common opponent these teams share.
Last week, USC handled the Wildcats by 37 points. Meanwhile, Colorado lost to Arizona at home three weeks ago 35-30.
The Buffaloes’ offense figured it out against the Wildcats lead by the efforts of senior wide receiver Tony Brown, who caught 10 receptions for 141 yards.
Take the Trojans to cover the spread (-13.5).
Picks: Trojans (-13.5) @ -110
The Trojans are averaging 30.7 ppg while the Buffaloes are allowing 34.9 ppg and I’m confident that trend will continue on Friday.
This over will come down to whether or not Colorado can fix its recent offensive issues.
The Buffaloes averaged 34.6 ppg over the first five weeks of the season, but have combined for 13 points over the last two games.
Roll with the over in this matchup at 630.5points.
Picks: Total Points - Over 60.5 @ -110
Game notes:
USC has never lost to Colorado in program history (13-0). Over those 13 games, the average margin of victory is slightly over 20 points.
These two teams have met every season since 2011. In those eight meetings, USC has averaged 39 ppg, Colorado has averaged 20.6 ppg.
The Trojans have two wins against ranked opponents, defeating #23 Stanford 45-20 and #10 Utah 30-23. They have also lost to two ranked opponents, losing to #17 Washington 28-14 and #9 Notre Dame 30-27.
Colorado has defeated two ranked opponents as well, defeating #25 Nebraska 34-31 and #24 Arizona State 34-31. The Buffaloes have also lost to a ranked opponent, falling to #13 Oregon 45-3.
Final Score Prediction: USC defeats Colorado 42-2