USC Trojans vs. Arizona State Sun Devils Odds, Betting Pick

Not too long ago the USC Trojans beat the Arizona State Sun Devils 11 times in a row. But ASU has taken three of the last six meetings outright, and it's 6-3 against the spread over the last nine. In a big game out in the Pac-12, the Sun Devils dance with the Trojans on Saturday night.

College football point spread: The Trojans opened as four-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 39.5-23.2 Trojans (College football picks on every game)

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Why the USC Trojans can cover the spread

Southern Cal is definitely looking to bounce back after getting beat up at Notre Dame last week 49-14. The Trojans fell down to the Irish 14-0 in the first quarter and never mounted a challenge. It was a performance better left on the cutting room floor.

On the evening, three USC turnovers led directly to 21 Notre Dame points. The Trojans also missed a short field goal when it was still a game early in the second quarter.

Just prior to that, Southern Cal had won two games in a row, including a key 28-27 victory over Utah. At 4-1 in Pac-12 play, the Trojans still control their own destiny in the chase for a division and conference championship.

Why the Arizona State Sun Devils can cover the spread

The Sun Devils are 2-0 since their loss at Stanford, and they're 4-0 ATS over their last four games following their 30-10 victory and cover at Utah last week. Arizona State, as a 10-point dog, scored the first 16 points of the game and iced the win with a pick-six that gave them a 30-3 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

On the afternoon, the Sun Devils outrushed the Utes 205-110, held a 36-24 advantage in time of possession and won the turnover battle 4-1—they've now outgained three of their last four opponents.

Meanwhile, the ASU defense limited Utah to one meaningless touchdown with less than three minutes left in the game. That unit has now allowed just two touchdowns over its last nine quarters of play.

At 3-1 in Pac-12 action, the Sun Devils also control their own destiny as they chase their first conference championship game berth since 2013.

Smart pick

College football can be a funny place; USC looked bad last week but could be primed for a rebound, while ASU, following a big conference road victory, could be ripe for a letdown. Smart money here probably takes the Trojans.

College football betting trends

USC is 1-3 ATS in its last four games on the road against Arizona State.

The total has gone over in seven of USC's last 10 games on the road against Arizona State.

Arizona State is 7-2 ATS in its last nine games at home against teams with winning records.

All college football odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.