You know how it is. You’ve had a long day but you’re not quite ready for it to end just yet. Maybe things haven’t gone the way you’ve planned. Maybe you’re a few beers deep after a few games of college football betting, you glance up, and mmm-mmm-mmm, what a beauty. Maybe she’s not the best thing you’ve ever seen, but she’s not the worst, and you need some action.
I’m talking about Pac-12 after dark, baby!
It’s the third week of conference play, so let’s dive right into sexy time with our best college football free picks and predictions for No. 19 USC at Utah, with a sultry kickoff slated for Saturday, October 21 at 10:30 ET in Salt Lake City.
USC Trojans at Utah Utes Betting Preview
Weather
It’s going to be clear and cold on Saturday night in Utah. Look for a temperature of 26 degrees with wind out of the northeast at 5 mph. No rain is expected. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
USC: Palaie Gaoteote IV LB (Questionable), Talanoa Hufanga S (Questionable), Caleb Tremblay DL (Questionable), Jude Wolfe TE (Questionable), Mo Hasan QB (Out), Gary Braynt Jr. WR (Questionable), Tayler Katoa LB (Questionable), Bandon Pili DL (Questionable), Brett Neilson OL (Questionable).
Utah: Tyrone Young-Smith WR (Out), Skyler Southam K (Out).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Utes are 8-1 ATS in their last nine conference games. Find more NCAA betting trends for USC vs. Utah.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
Perhaps no team in the country has been more affected by COVID-19 than the Utah Utes, who are finally getting their season underway after numerous setbacks. Coach Kyle Whittingham admits that his team was “decimated” by the outbreak, but they’re finally healthy enough to get on the field after an 11-2 campaign in 2019. The Utes still haven’t named a starting quarterback, but either Cam Rising, Jake Bentley, or Drew Lisk will get the call. Regardless, the Utes do return a defense that allowed only 15 points per game last year.
It's another week and another incredible comeback for the Trojans, who once again got a late touchdown to notch a 34-30 victory against Arizona with only 25 seconds to play. Quarterback Kedon Slovis has put up impressive numbers in USC’s undefeated start, passing for 706 yards, three touchdowns and one interception.
While you have to give USC credit for its late-game heroics, there’s only so many times that you can rally to win games with seconds to play. The Utes have a lot of question marks, because we haven’t yet seen them in action, but they’re 5-0 against the number in their last five home games, and I’m betting that USC is going to run out of miracle comebacks.
PREDICTION: Utah +3.0 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
I’m not a fan of Todd Orlando’s defense at USC, and the early results have shown that the Trojans are a work in progress.
The Over is 5-1 in USC's last six games following a straight-up win, and I don’t think it would surprise anyone to see another high-scoring shootout.
PREDICTION: Over 58.0 (-110)
Team Total Pick
Considering their substantial layoff, I think it may take a while for the Utes to get going, but when they do, they should find success against Trojans defense that is ranked 78th in the nation.
No, it’s not the sexiest play, but when it’s late on Saturday night, you can’t worry about that until you wake up in the morning.
PREDICTION: Utah team total Over 27.5 (-125)
USC vs Utah Betting Card
- Utah +3.0 (-110)
- Over 58.0 (-110)
- Utah team total Over 27.5 (-125)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA USC vs. Utah picks, you could win $55.60 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on College Football?
You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
