USC vs. Penn State Odds
| USC Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 51 -112o / -108u | +145 |
| Penn State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 51 -112o / -108u | -175 |
The Penn State Nittany Lions enter this week 5-0 after a 27-11 victory over UCLA last week. They sit at No. 4 in the AP Poll after last week's win, and now they face their biggest test of the season yet — a trip to Los Angeles to take on the USC Trojans.
USC is now 3-2 on the season and is coming off a 24-17 loss on the road at Minnesota.
The Trojans have been hot and cold this year, struggling on the road at Michigan and Minnesota but holding serve at home with blowout wins over Wisconsin and Utah State.
They also have an impressive victory over LSU back in the opening week of the season.
This should be a hotly-contested game, as Penn State is the favorite on the road. However, USC has been stellar in its own building.
Penn State’s 12th-ranked rush offense should find success against an overmatched USC defense that ranks 75th in Rushing Success Rate Allowed on the season.
On the other side, USC’s run game ranks eighth nationally but will have a tough test against the fourth-ranked Penn State run defense.
The Trojans will need to air it out to have a chance to win this game, and that’s what we have leaned into for this same-game parlay. Let's get to my USC vs. Penn State same-game parlay below.
Penn State vs. USC Picks, Predictions, Same-Game Parlay
- Kaytron Allen 70+ Rushing Yards (-110)
- Miller Moss 200+ Passing Yards (-400)
- Woody Marks 25+ Receiving Yards (-115)
- Kyron Hudson 25+ Receiving Yards (-290)
Parlay Odds: +415 via DraftKings
Please always remember to bet responsibly. SGPs are long shots for a reason.
Kaytron Allen 70+ Rushing Yards
Star Penn State running back Nick Singleton missed last week’s win over UCLA with an unspecified injury, and Singleton’s status is up in the air for this week.
Without Singleton last week, Allen was the feature back, totaling 21 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown.
Allen hasn’t just done his damage when Singleton has been out, though. Allen finished with 18 carries for 102 yards to Singleton’s 16 carries for 94 yards in Penn State’s win over Illinois two weeks ago.
Allen’s workload has been steadily increasing week after week, and he has tallied 66 or more yards in four consecutive weeks.
Even if Singleton is back, he will be shaking off the rust. Allen will still see plenty of work against USC’s 75th-ranked rush defense.
Miller Moss 200+ Passing Yards
On the other side, USC will want to air it out to win this game.
Penn State’s defense has been downright dominant against the run, ranking fourth in the country in Rushing Success Rate Allowed.
However, the Nittany Lions have been vulnerable through the air. That’s where Bowling Green attacked them, ultimately earning a lead late into the third quarter in Happy Valley.
USC will happily sit back and chuck the ball downfield against a defense like this.
Miller Moss has notched 30-plus pass attempts in all five Trojan games this year, and he completed 30-of-45 pass attempts in their blowout win at home over Wisconsin.
That’s the formula to keep things close against Penn State.
For the sake of our parlay, we’ll lower the bar a bit to 200 yards. Moss’s total passing yards in each game through five weeks: 378, 229, 283, 308 and 200.
Woody Marks 25+ Receiving Yards & Kyron Hudson 25+ Receiving Yards
If Moss is throwing the ball, we need two primary targets to hone in on.
USC can be a tricky offense to try and pinpoint, as it has seven pass-catchers who have notched between 121 and 234 receiving yards on the season. You truly never know who will step up and be the guy.
However, Woody Marks and Kyron Hudson have been the most reliable, and there’s reason to believe that will continue against Penn State.
Marks has broken out as USC’s feature running back this year, but that also means he has established himself as the most trusted safety valve for Moss to dump down to. Marks has four straight weeks with at least three receptions and at least 29 yards receiving in each game.
At the receiver spot, we’ll focus on Hudson. Hudson ranks third on the team in catches and yards, but he's only three catches and only eight yards behind the team leader in both categories.
Hudson actually leads USC in yards per catch and has been trending in the right direction as of late. He has totaled at least three catches and 31 or more yards in three consecutive games.
Marks and Hudson will be relied upon heavily in a pass-happy game plan for the Trojans at home this week.
Add it together, and our parlay pays out at +415 odds.
