LSU vs USC Prediction, Odds & Preview (Sunday, Aug 31)

USC vs LSU is the lone college football matchup on Sunday
The Sunday college football odds favor the Tigers in Las Vegas
Read below for USC vs LSU prediction, odds and picks for Sunday

The college football season features a marquee Week 1 matchup between the USC Trojans and LSU Tigers on Sunday, September 1, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. This prime-time showdown is scheduled for a 7:30 PM EDT kickoff and will be televised nationally on ABC.

Both USC and LSU enter the 2024 season with high expectations despite coming off disappointing campaigns in 2023. The Trojans finished 8-5 last year, while LSU went 10-3 in 2023 but failed to meet their championship aspirations.

Oddsmakers have installed LSU as a 4-point favorite with an over/under of 64.5 points. The high total reflects the explosive potential of both offenses, setting the stage for an exciting offensive explosion to open the season.

USC vs LSU Prediction

USC and LSU both put up monster offensive numbers in 2023 despite the struggles of their defenses. The Trojans ranked 6th nationally in scoring (41.8 ppg), while the Tigers led the country at 45.5 points per game.

However, the two teams will be breaking in new quarterbacks after Heisman winners Caleb Williams (USC) and Jayden Daniels (LSU) moved on to the NFL. The Trojans turn to junior Miller Moss, who dazzled with 372 yards and 6 TDs in last year’s Holiday Bowl win over Louisville.

QB1⃣

Now that it's official, let's take a look at Miller Moss' historic Holiday Bowl in his first career start 👇 #B1GFootball pic.twitter.com/roHGkFV2w5

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 21, 2024

LSU counters with sophomore Garrett Nussmeier, the MVP of their ReliaQuest Bowl victory against Wisconsin (395 yards, 3 TDs). Nussmeier has the weapons to exploit a vulnerable USC defense that allowed 34.9 points per game last season (118th in FBS).

The Trojans have a new defensive coordinator in D’Anton Lynn but major questions remain, especially in the secondary. However, USC’s offense should find success against an LSU defense that struggled against the pass in 2023 (8.1 yards allowed per attempt).

Never underestimate USC defense’s ability to give up a lead

pic.twitter.com/fowRWZDrv9

— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) January 2, 2023

With both teams having offensive firepower and question marks on defense, I’m backing the “over.” These two teams printed money total-wise last season, with LSU going over in 12 of 13 games last year and USC doing the same in 10 of 13. I expect fireworks in Sin City.

USC vs LSU Picks:

Over 64.5 (-110 at Fanatics)

College Football Betting Apps: Best NCAAF Sportsbooks For 2024

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
USC	+4 (-110)	+155	Over 64.5 (-110)
LSU	-4 (-110)	-185	Under 64.5 (-110)

The Tigers are favored to win outright with a moneyline price of -185 (implying a 64.9% win probability). USC is a +155 underdog on the money line, implying a 39.2% chance of winning.

LSU being favored by 4 points indicates oddsmakers think the Tigers have a slight edge in this matchup. The negative sign (-) indicates that LSU is the favorite, while the positive sign (+) denotes the underdog. The -110 in parentheses represents the juice or vigorish, meaning that a bettor would need to wager $110 to win $100 on this bet.

Odds as of August 31, 2024, at Fanatics Sportsbook. Take advantage of the Fanatics promo code to bet on USC vs LSU.

The over/under or total for the game is set at 64.5 points. This line implies that oddsmakers expect a high-scoring affair, which aligns with the historical trends of both teams. In the previous season, LSU and USC combined for an impressive 22-4 record in hitting the over.

It’s worth noting that the spread has seen some movement in the CFB odds since its initial release. LSU opened as a 6-point favorite, but early betting action has driven the line down to 4, indicating that bettors are leaning towards USC to cover the spread.

USC vs LSU Injury Report

As of publish, neither team has reported any major injuries that would impact their key players for this matchup.

USC has named Miller Moss as their starting quarterback for the season opener against LSU. Moss, a former 4-star recruit, beat out sophomore Malachi Nelson for the job.

LSU does not have any notable injuries heading into Week 1. The Tigers are expected to be at full strength as they aim to make an early statement against a high-profile opponent.

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