Getty Sam Darnold and the Trojans are heavy favorites against Texas.
USC hosts Texas in one of the major college football matchups of Week 3. According to OddsShark, USC is favored by 15.5 points over the Longhorns. The over-under is set at 67.5 points.
Both teams are 1-1 against the spread this season. After a disappointing loss in their opener against Maryland, Texas bounced back with a 56-0 win over San Jose State. USC looked shaky at times in their Week 1 matchup against Western Michigan. The Trojans were more polished last week in their dominant win against Stanford.
USC hit the over in both of their contests, while Texas hit both the over and under in their first two games. The two teams have only played five games in their history, and the Trojans are 4-1 in these matchups. USC and Texas have not met since Texas’ 2006 comeback victory in the title game.
The OddsShark computer likes USC to comfortably handle Texas. The computer is projecting a 45.8-29.2 USC victory over Texas. The computer is taking USC to cover the spread and the over on the point total.
SB Nation’s S&P+ projections are more optimistic on the Longhorns chances. The projections have USC winning by 10.6 points.
The critical question in this game is how the Texas defense will handle the USC offense. Sam Darnold has had a solid start to the season, but has been prone to throwing interceptions. Darnold has thrown for 605 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
USC is the better team, but the Longhorns have enough talent to make it interesting. There are no guarantees Shane Buechele will be the quarterback tonight for the Longhorns. Buechele has battled injuries throughout the week, and Sam Ehlinger would get the start if Buechele cannot go on Saturday.
We like USC to comfortably stay ahead throughout the game, but Texas will be in striking distance as they cover the large spread.
Heavy’s Pick: USC 45 Texas 34. Texas Covers +15.5 Spread. Over on the Point Total.