USC-Nebraska
Saturday, Nov. 1
7:30 p.m. Eastern, 4:30 p.m. Pacific
NBC
USC-Nebraska is a pure football game, in the sense that it’s very easy to identify this game’s importance. The Big Ten has two clear-cut College Football Playoff teams, Ohio State and Indiana. It has a third likely playoff team, Oregon. The rest of the Big Ten has failed to distinguish itself and gain separation. Right now, the odds are that the Big Ten will not put a fourth team in the playoff, unlike last season. Illinois just lost a third game. Michigan has two losses and has to go through Ohio State. USC and Nebraska also have two losses each, meaning that the loser of this game is fully out of the playoff race and, for that matter, the Big Ten championship push. The winner of this game stays alive but has to face a rough schedule as November continues. The stakes are high and the pressure is on.
USC-Nebraska is a battle of relative equals, despite the point spread
USC is favored by nearly a touchdown, but Trojans have struggled under Lincoln Riley
One will look at the 6.5-point spread and conclude the markets think USC is a better team. Maybe on a purely conceptual or theoretical level, but if you have followed USC this season, you know that the Trojans have not done well against the spread. USC has failed to cover spreads against Purdue, Michigan State, Illinois, and Notre Dame. Notably, USC was a 6.5-point favorite at Illinois and lost that game outright. So, the spread doesn’t really offer a true indication or measurement of how good these teams really are. USC has not shown that point spreads of roughly a touchdown or more mean a whole lot. This is why Lincoln Riley is under fire from USC fans and has not earned a whole lot of trust in Los Angeles.
USC Trojans-Nebraska Cornhuskers Odds
Hear TJ Rives and Jason Powers break down this game on the 3Dog Thursday Podcast by clicking Play below:
Spread: USC -6.5 (-110), Nebraska +6.5 (-110)
Total: 59.5 (Over -105, Under -115)
Underdog moneyline: Nebraska +190
The fact that USC is a 6.5-point favorite makes this game hard to size up from a betting standpoint. If USC was a 2.5-point favorite, it would be easy to go with USC, which — by all appearances — looks like the better team. Nebraska lost to Minnesota by 18 points. The Huskers did not look good or especially convincing last week against Northwestern, narrowly winning in a game which was tied 21-21 midway through the second half even though Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone did not play a good game.
It is true that Matt Rhule’s newly-signed contract extension — which shows Nebraska’s commitment to Rhule – could inspire the Huskers in this game, but inspiration can only go so far. Nebraska does not have a good offensive line and has not shown it can play elite lockdown defense to compensate for its inconsistent offense. Nebraska is not a team worth trusting.
However, USC’s road-game track record in the Big Ten under Lincoln Riley is not worth trusting either. USC lost at Minnesota and Maryland last year. The Trojans continue to fall short against comparable opponents. All in all, this game deserves a total pass. You should have nothing to do with this game as a bettor. Both teams will make you sweat, and that’s not a good situation in which to place a wager of your hard-earned money.