Back on the road for another big conference clash.
The Washington State Cougars are south-bound this weekend as they clash with the #6 USC Trojans in Los Angeles.
Last weekend WSU (4-1, 1-1) captured their first Pac-12 win of the year, beating Cal (3-2, 1-1) by a tune of 28-9. Meanwhile USC (5-0, 2-0) took care of business last weekend against Arizona State, 42-25.
With a perfect 5-0 record and a shiny #6 number next to their name, DraftKings puts the Trojans as 13 point favorites against the best team in the other receiving vote WSU Cougars. DraftKings also expects a heavy dose of offense with the total over/under being set at 66. The highest mark of WSU’s season. WSU is +390 on the money line to beat the Trojans. A $100 bet on Cougs would win $390.
This isn’t the first time the Cougs have been large road underdogs this season. Against a Big Ten team nonetheless. Remember, the Cougs were once 17 point underdogs to the Wisconsin Badgers in Madison. The Cougs ended up holding the Badgers to even less than that with a 17-14 victory.
Led by their new leader Lincoln Riley, he has USC running like well-oiled machine. Or a Trojan horse if you will. USC has cruised through the first quarter of the season. They made quick work of non-conference foes Rice and Fresno State. Winning each by at least 28. USC also defeated future non-conference foes in Stanford and narrowly escaped Corvallis with a 17-14 win over Oregon State.
This will be the final time WSU plays at the coliseum as a conference foe of the USC Trojans, and may just be the final conference game between the two barring a meet-up in the Pac-12 Championship Game. The Trojans are scheduled to ditch the Pac in 2024 and are not lined up to face the Cougars in 2023. It’s unlikely USC ever makes the trip to Pullman again for a non-conference game either. But, typically non-conference games happen in September and that is usually the only time USC ever makes the trip to Pullman anyway, so don’t rule it out folks.
The Cougars won’t really be missing their trips to the coliseum. WSU has returned home with a win just six times against USC. But those wins have been memorable. Last time the Cougars won in the coliseum, it was fully on the shoulders of their defense who scored WSU’s only touchdown, a Damante Horton pick six. The Cougars upset the ranked USC Trojans 10-7. The lowest total scored game between the two west-coast schools since 1957, another WSU win in Los Angeles.
WSU’s defense will again have to be the key to victory if the Cougars want to send the Trojans off to the Big Ten with a nice parting gift.
Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details.