2023 College Football Betting: USC at Colorado Game Lines

A pair of Heisman Trophy-contending quarterbacks are on display from the Pac-12 on Saturday as No. 8 USC and Heisman favorite Caleb Williams, the 2022 winner, visit Shedeur Sanders and unranked Colorado with the Trojans as heavy favorites on the NCAAF odds. | 2023 NCAAF Expert Analysis #11 Notre Dame vs. #17 Duke | MyBookie Sportsbook | Week 5: Thursday, September 28 to Saturday, September 30, 2023

How to Bet USC at Colorado NCAA Football Odds & TV Info

When: Saturday, Noon ET
Where: Folsom Field
TV: FOX
Stream: Fox Sports Live
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAF Lines: Colorado +21.5 (total 74)

Last Season

In 2022, Colorado was routed 55-17 at USC. Caleb Williams passed for 268 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two more scores for the Trojans. Colorado fell to 0-16 against USC in a series that began in 1927 and includes 11 straight Pac-12 losses for the Buffs.

Why Bet on USC?

USC (4-0) comes off a 42-28 win at Arizona State last Saturday and that was the Trojans’ closest game of the season. Caleb Williams threw for 322 yards and accounted for five touchdowns, and Marshawn Lloyd ran for 154 yards. WR Brenden Rice scored 2 TDs for the Trojans (a 43-yard TD reception in the first quarter and 29-yard reception in the fourth quarter). He now has 5 TDs on the season. He wrapped up the night with 7 receptions for 133 yards.

Williams went 20-of-31 for 322 yards and 3 TDs and no INTs. He also rushed for 10 yards and scored 2 TDs. It was the fourth time he has scored multiple rushing TDs in a game in his career (2 vs. Fresno State and Colorado in 2022, and 3 versus Notre Dame in 2022). He is currently No. 1 in the nation for yards per pass attempt (11.88), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for per game (27.5), No. 1 in the nation in passing efficiency (223.1), No. 1 in the nation in points responsible for (110), No. 2 in the nation in passing TDs (15), and No. 10 in the nation in passing yards per completion (16.00).

USC had 535 total yards of offense and has had over 500 total yards in all four games this season. USC now has 13 games of 500 or more total yards under Lincoln Riley (18 games). *The Trojan offense is No. 1 in the nation for scoring offense (55.0), No. 3 in the nation in total offense (569.2), No. 3 in the nation for team passing efficiency (204.82) and No. 3 in the nation for passing offense (377.2).

The Trojans were sloppy, though. USC had a touchdown negated by a penalty, lost a fumble to set up an Arizona State score and turned it over deep in the Sun Devils’ end in the third quarter.

Freshman linebacker Tackett Curtis made his defensive presence known against the Sun Devils as he collected 7 tackles, with 2.0 for loss of 11 yards, including 2.0 sacks for minus 11 yards. He was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week. USC currently leads the nation in tackles for loss (41.0) and third nationally in sacks (16.0).

FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff is set to take place in Boulder. This is the second time the show has taken place at the site of a USC game. The first was at the Coliseum in 2019 when USC defeated Utah 30-23. This is USC’s first pre-noon kickoff since a 9 a.m. home start against Arizona State to open their 2020 season.

Why Bet on Colorado?

Playing without dual-threat star Travis Hunter, who will also miss this week, Colorado (3-1) was routed 42-6 at No. 10 Oregon last Saturday and fell out of the Top 25. Oregon scored on five of its first six possessions — including the first three — while Colorado punted eight consecutive times. CU trailed 35-0 at the half and the Ducks added one more score in the third quarter before the Buffs finally got on the board late in the game to avoid being shut out.

Oregon rang up 522 yards total offense while the Buffs finished with a season-low 199 yards while also committing 12 penalties for 103 yards. Buffs quarterback Shedeur Sanders was sacked seven times but still finished with 159 yards passing and a touchdown. That likely ended his Heisman hopes.

Colorado’s quarterback has been sacked 22 times this year — 5.5 per game. That’s an unsustainable number, at least if the Buffs want to keep Sanders healthy for the season. Not all the blame can be placed on the offensive line. Sanders stepped up and said after the game that he is holding the ball too long on occasion.

With Hunter out, Alabama transfer Jahquez Robinson stepped into the starting role at cornerback and came up with an interception. It was his first action of the year for Colorado and he finished with the highest PFF grade of any CU defender (77.1).

Hunter was injured in the Buffaloes’ Week 3 win over Colorado State on a late hit from Rams safety Henry Blackburn. He suffered a lacerated liver that is expected to keep him out for three-to-four weeks. Through the first three games of the season, Hunter had nine tackles, two passes defended and one interceptions on defense and 16 catches for 213 yards on offense. Hunter is pushing to play this week but the team is not expected to allow it.

Running back Alton McCaskill carried five times for 17 yards in his CU debut. McCaskill gives the Buffs another look from the backfield and will likely play a bigger role as the season progresses.

The Buffaloes are ninth in the nation in penalty yards per game, averaging 77.0 per contest. Saturday, they committed 12 for 106 — and a number of those either stalled offensive drives that had potential or kept Oregon drives alive.

Expert Prediction

USC 41, Colorado 24

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