College Football Predictions: USC vs. California Preview

Written by Jake Thompson
Tuesday, 11 October 2011 15:18

Score predictions are ready in time for Thursday’s college football game between USC and California.

The USC Trojans (4-1) head on the road for their Thursday game against the California Golden Bears (3-2), and our score predictions and preview will help everyone figure out what to expect.  The USC vs. California game will be shown nationally on ESPN, and the start time is set for 9:00 PM ET.

California started off their season in impressive fashion, getting 3 straight wins over the likes of Fresno State, Colorado, and Presbyterian.  Since then the Golden Bears have dropped road games against Washington and Oregon, but are back at home for the USC clash.  The Trojans hold wins over Minnesota, Utah, Syracuse, and Arizona, while suffering a loss against Arizona State in their only road contest of the year.

Despite being the home team, California is currently listed as 3-point underdogs at Legends Sportsbook, while the total sits at 55.5.  Part of the reason why the college football betting public is favoring USC at about a 70% ratio with their bets has to do with the fact that the road team has covered the point spread in 11 of the last 15 head-to-head meetings between these Pac-12 schools.

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USC was a 48-14 winner at home last year, while the Trojans also grabbed a 30-3 win at California during the 2009 season.  California has won outright against USC only once in the 10 meetings since 2001, while the under has been a wagering winner in 6 of the last 7.  California and USC have each covered the point spread in 2 of 5 games during the 2011 college football season.

Quarterbacks for Thursday’s game will be Matt Barkley (1587 yards, 70.7%, 14 TD, 4 INT) for USC and Zach Maynard (1291 yards, 51.4%, 11 TD, 3 INT) for California.  These squads each pass for over 300 yards a game, while California has the small edge in the rushing department.  California and USC are both capable offenses and it will be up to the opposing defenses to slow down two productive units.

USC’s defense has given up more passing yardage than California’s, but the Trojans lead the way in terms of points allowed and rushing yards allowed per game.  Establishing the run will be very important for California, as they’ve won easily in the 2 games they’ve won the rushing battle, while losing 2 and winning 1 in overtime during the games they’ve been outrushed.

The USC vs. California game is a tough one to make predictions on because these teams are very closely matched.  The Trojans are probably a tick better as a team, but the Golden Bears’ home field advantage should make up for the small disparity.  Barkley is a much more accurate quarterback than Maynard, but ultimately I believe that California will establish enough of a rushing attack to open up the passing lanes for some big plays.

USC vs. California Score Predictions:

USC 27

California 30