ESPN's SP+ predicts the score of USC's game against Arizona State
What a time to have to play USC. The Trojans are no doubt annoyed by the way they played offensively a week ago against Oregon State — and certainly annoyed by all the hullabuloo that happened this week because of it. (Caleb Williams missed a post-practice media availability and college football Twitter had a field day for… whatever reason.) And they represent a second top-15 opponent in as many weeks for an Arizona State team that is already 1-3 and on an interim head coach.
Saturday night in the L.A. Coliseum does not project as a close affair. The Trojans are a 25.5-point favorite at FanDuel, as of publication. And Bill Connelly’s SP+ sees a similarly lopsided game happening.
The predictive model is calling for a 35-21 USC win. That would be an ASU cover, but a fourth double-digit win in five games to begin the year for USC.
Here’s what Connelly wrote on the game:
ASU has scored 30 combined points in two games against power-conference teams. The Sun Devils can still run the ball — USC’s kryptonite to date — but this game is interesting primarily to see how the Trojans’ offense responds after a bit of a dud against Oregon State.
The Sun Devils are 1-3 against the spread so far this season and the under has hit in every game.
USC doesn’t figure to make things easy. No team in the country has more takeaways than the Trojans and they remain the only team left in the FBS that has yet to turn the ball over. After mustering just 17 points against Oregon State, what’s in store for a Sun Devil team that ranks 93rd nationally in run defense and has given up 34 points to both of its Power Five foes so far?
We’ll find out Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. PT on ESPN.