USC Trojans and Indiana Hoosiers are set for a Big Ten showdown clash on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, IN.
This is a Top-20 matchup, as the Hoosiers are ranked No. 9 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, while the Trojans are ranked No. 18.
Indiana is 8-1 on the season, and owns a Big Ten record of 5-1. On the other side, USC is 7-2 overall with a 4-2 mark in Big Ten play.
With kick-off slated for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS, it’s time to break down the odds and go over the best bets to make for this Big Ten clash.
USC vs. Indiana betting picks and predictions
Indiana -8.5 (-114)
After playing nine games in nine weeks to start the season, Indiana enjoyed a much-needed bye week in Week 10. Curt Cignetti is arguably the best coach in all of college football, and after several close calls for the Hoosiers, that extra prep time could bode extremely well for Indiana in this matchup.
USC is also coming off a bye, but these are the types of games where the Trojans have struggled mightily under Lincoln Riley. With both teams coming off bye weeks, coaching and preparation is even more important. With that in mind, Cignetti is the coach to trust.
Indiana also has home field advantage, and the Hoosiers have lost just once at home in the Cignetti era. That came a few weeks ago against Ohio State. USC beat OSU two weeks ago, but the Buckeyes were without Julian Sayin. Ohio State is simply a much different team without him, meaning that USC’s 30-18 win over the Buckeyes needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
Indiana holds a significant edge over USC defensively. The Hoosiers rank 2nd in the Big Ten in total defense, and are allowing just 259.2 yards of offense per game to their opponents. On the other side, USC’s defensive unit continues to struggle with inconsistencies, and ranks 14th in the Big Ten by surrendering 24.2 points per game.
Playing at home, back the Hoosiers -8.5.
Under 50.5 (-111)
The Under is 6-3 for Indiana this season and 5-4 for USC. With a total of 50.5, that trend of low-scoring games could continue in this matchup.
Indiana’s offense is pretty banged up. Josh Hoover has been battling an undisclosed injury for a few weeks now, and was benched two weeks ago against Minnesota. Grant Wilson took over at halftime, and while he performed well, it would be a bit surprising to see him lead a high-scoring charge should he get the starting nod.
The Hoosiers will also be without their leading rusher, Turbo Richard, who has already been ruled out. Veteran OL Joe Brunner is also out, which gives the Hoosier running game and offensive line plenty of question marks.
Indiana may rely on its defense. As previously mentioned, Indiana has one of the best defenses in the country, and has made life extremely difficult on its opponents all season long. The USC offense has not performed well when traveling multiple time zones, and things will not get any easier in Bloomington.
Look to the under.
Read more college football picks and predictions on site.
USC vs. Indiana odds
USC | +275 |
Indiana | -350 |
Spread | USC +8.5 |
Total | O/U 50.5 |
USC vs. Indiana player props
Anytime touchdown
Lee Beebe Jr. (IU Hoosiers) | -155 |
Charlie Becker (IU Hoosiers) | -140 |
Turbo Richard (IU Hoosiers) | -105 |
Nick Marsh (IU Hoosiers) | +105 |
King Miller (USC Trojans) | +115 |
Trent Mosley (USC Trojans) | +145 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
