Penn State vs. USC prediction: Odds, expert picks, QB matchup, betting trends, and stats

The #4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are on the road to meet the USC Trojans in a West Coast Big Ten battle.

Penn State (5-0, 2-0 in Big Ten) is undefeated this season with four of their wins by at least two touchdowns. This is the smallest spread for the Nittany Lions all season (-4.5), and it’s their first road game since Week 1 at West Virginia (34-12).

USC (3-2, 1-2 in Big Ten) has lost two of their last three games including Michigan (27-24) and Minnesota (24-17). The Trojans lone Big Ten win was over Wisconsin (38-21). Outside of Notre Dame as the regular season finale, this will likely be USC’s toughest test.

NBC Sports has all the latest info and analysis you need, including how to tune in for kickoff, odds from BetMGM, player news and updates, and of course our predictions and best bets for the game from our staff of experts.

Listen to the B1G Talk podcast with Todd Blackledge and Noah Eagle for the most compelling storylines across all of college football, with the biggest teams on the rise and the latest rankings!

Game Details and How to watch Penn State vs. USC

• Date: Saturday, October 12, 2024

• Time: 3:30 PM EST

• Site: LA Memorial Coliseum

• City: Los Angeles, CA

• TV/Streaming: CBS and Paramount+

Want to check out the other games on the College Football schedule this week? We’ve got you covered right here on NBC Sports with all the matchup, venue, game-time and TV/streaming info so you won’t miss any of the action!

Game odds for Peen State @ USC – Week 7

The latest odds as of Wednesday evening:

o Moneyline: Penn State -225, USC +180
o Spread: Penn State -5.5 (-110)
o Total: 50.5 points

*odds courtesy of BetMGM

Penn State opened as a -4.5-point favorite and has been bet up to -5.5 with a likelihood to close around -6.5 or -7. This is the lowest that Penn State has been favored all season. There has been no movement on the total of 50.5.

NBC Sports Bet Best Bet

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) has the following best bets for Saturday’s matchup between Penn State and USC:
“USC is one of the most traveled teams in the country with a neutral field game versus LSU, then a bye week and home game versus Utah State followed by a tough stretch of going to Michigan (27-24 loss), coming back to L.A. to host Wisconsin (38-21 comeback win), and a road trip to Minnesota (24-17 loss).

Now, USC is back at home to host Penn State who has not been on the road since Week 1 when they made a short trip to West Virginia (34-12). USC was sluggish in the last two first halves, but Penn State wasn’t much better hosting UCLA last week.

The Trojans’ opportunity will come from a quick start for a Penn State team that hasn’t played in another time zone yet. I would target USC in the first quarter at +0.5 points or the +1.5 hosting Penn State.”

From the Trading Desk at BetMGM courtesy of John Ewing: National Championship

Highest Ticket%
· Ohio State 15.4%
· Texas 11.9%
· Georgia 11.5%

Highest Handle%
· Georgia 17.6%
· Ohio State 17.3%
· Texas 11.6%

College Football talk is taking over Bet the Edge every Thursday throughout the season. Bet the EDGE is your source for all things sports betting. Get all of Vaughn Dalzell, Eric Froton, and Brad Thomas’ insights Thursdays at 6AM ET right here or wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

Quarterback matchup for Penn State @ USC

• Penn State: Drew Allar has one of the best touchdown-to-interception ratios (9-1) in addition to three rushing scores and 1,190 total yards. Allar is on pace to surpass his career-high of 2,631 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns.

• USC: Miller Moss has 9 touchdowns to 4 interceptions on the season, plus a 64.5 completion percentage. Moss has tossed at least 200 passing yards in all five games this season and six straight if you include his record 6 touchdown game over Louisville (42-28 win) in the DirectTV Holiday Bowl.

Nittany Lions and Trojans player news & recent stats

• Penn State has covered 4 of its last 5 road matchups.

• Penn State has won 9 of its last 11 games on the ML.

• The Over is 7-3 in USC’s last 10 home games.

• Penn State’s Drew Allar has thrown for more than 237 passing yards just once this season, while USC’s Miller Moss has done it three times.

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Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:

• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)

• Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)

• Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)

• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)

• Eric Froton (@CFFroton)