The USC Trojans might be the 17th ranked team in the country, but if they don’t want to see their national ranking take a hit, they’ll almost certainly need to beat No. 10 Stanford in Week 2.  Make no mistake about it, the only real question surrounding this huge, early-season conference clash is whether or not Southern Cal can pull off the big road upset over a Cardinal team that certainly won’t go down easily – if at all. Let’s get to my expert pick on this intriguing week 2 showdown.

USC vs Stanford NCAA Football Week 2 Lines & Preview

The @BlueChipMoving_ USC equipment truck is en route to Palo Alto!#FightOn | #BeatTheFarm pic.twitter.com/kQKHGedk07

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) September 7, 2018

When: Saturday, September 8, 2018 at 8:30 PM ET Where: Stanford Stadium TV: FOX Radio: TuneIn Live Stream: FoxSportsGo.com NCAAF Odds: Stanford Cardinal -6 / Total: 56.5

Weather Forecast

• Clear: 17^°C/63^°F
• Humidity: 70%
• Precipitation: 1%
• Wind: 9 mph NW
• Cloud Cover: 4%
• Type of Stadium: Open

Why Bet on USC?

Why should you bet on the Trojans in this week 2 contest? Because they’ve got a ton of talent and a talented young signal-caller that doesn’t know any better. USC got past UNLV 43-21 in Week 1 by scoring 24 unanswered points to come roaring back from a 14-9 deficit to take a lead early in the fourth quarter. True freshman quarterback GET Daniels completed 22 of 35 passes for 282 passing yards and one touchdown while connecting on passes to a whopping eight different receivers, including fellow true freshman Amon-Ra St. Brown who had seven catches for 98 yards and one score.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 43
• Total Yards: 501
• Pass Yards: 282
• Rush Yards: 219

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 21
• Total Yards: 405
• Pass Yards: 97
• Rush Yards: 308

Why Bet on Stanford?

Why should you bet on the Cardinal in this week 2 conference clash? Because the Cardinal are playing at home and will have the best player on either team in Heisman trophy candidate Bryce Love. The Cardinal also had a tough opponent on their hands in Week 1. The Cardinal managed to subdue San Diego State en route to a convincing 31-10 win that was actually a lot more competitive than the score suggests. While the Aztecs managed to hold  Love to  just 29 yards on 18 carries, quarterback K.J. Costello had a strong game by completing 21 of 31 passes for 332 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. Wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside had a monster game with six catches for 226 yards and three touchdowns.

Team Statistics

Offense:

• Average Score For: 31
• Total Yards: 382
• Pass Yards: 332
• Rush Yards: 50

Defense:

• Average Score Against: 10
• Total Yards: 263
• Pass Yards: 113
• Rush Yards: 150

Latest NCAA Football Betting Trends for USC vs Stanford

• USC is 1-4 ATS in the last 5 games
• USC is 21-3 SU in the last 24 games
• The total went OVER in 6 of USC’s last 9 games
• Stanford is 5-1 ATS in the last 6 games
• Stanford is 16-5 SU in the last 21 games
• The total went OVER in 4 of Stanford’s last 6 games

Expert Analysis and Prediction

I’m going to get right to the point with my pick on this Week 2 matchup by saying that I like Stanford to win and cover the spread by using a great defensive effort that confuses freshman JT Daniels and keep the Trojans largely out of the end zone. I’m also expecting Bryce Love to have a monster game seeing as how he got held in check in Week 1 and will definitely be looking to break out in this huge, Pac-12 pairing. Stanford will also be looking for some big-time payback following last season’s 31-28 road loss to the Trojans. USC is just 1-5-1 ATS in thier last 7 road games while Stanford has gone 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 4-1 ATS in thier last 5 home games. I’m going with the cardinal to get it done! NCAA Football Week 2 Pick: Stanford 28 USC 21