USC Trojans vs California Golden Bears Odds & Game Pick (2021)

Nov 30, 2021 - 2:03 PM

Don’t get too excited, USC and California fans… Neither of these two teams will be playing any conference championship game this season. Neither team will be playing a bowl game either.

This game between USC and California is due to this game previously being suspended due to COVID-19 protocol. It’s the lone regular-season game on the slate.

For bettors, the good news is that this will be the only game being played at 11 pm ET on Saturday, December 4. So if you’re looking to chase losses, this is the game for you. Although, I don’t recommend chasing!

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Details

• Opening Line: Calirofnia -2, O/U 57
• Current Line: California -4, O/U 58.5
• Last meeting: November 16, 2020, USC 41, California 17

Overview 

In the middle of the season, this game would be pretty even. With the news of Lincoln Riley coming to USC as head coach, the players might have a little juice to them moving forward.

But a win against the Trojans for California would give California a winning record in the Pac-12 and a sweep against all three California rivals this season.

The Golden Bears don’t like the Trojans and still view them as a hated team. California’s quarterback Chase Garbers has had a solid season this year with 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions while throwing for 2,354 yards. He’s also rushed for 444 yards on the season and is a threat in the run game as well.

The Bears don’t have a great offensive line but have a quality running game that has averaged 171.1 yards per game.

Meanwhile, the defense for California has been excellent, allowing just 23 points per game and 362.8 yards per game. The coverage has been the best area for the Golden Bears, but the rushing defense and pass rush upfront have been pretty consistent.

On the other hand, USC took a 35-31 loss to BYU last week and have lost four of their previous five games. Jaxson Dart is looking better under center for USC, and time will tell if he’ll be the program’s future.

The Trojans have been awful on the defensive end, giving up 422.1 yards per game along with nearly 250 yards in the passing game. The tackling has been terrible, and the coverage has been almost as bad for USC this season. I guess there’s always next year.

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Trends 

• Golden Bears are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.
• Trojans are 0-4 ATS in their last four conference games.
• Over is 6-0 in Trojans’ last six vs. a team with a losing record.

Bottom Line 

While the analytics want to count out USC, I don’t want to do that just yet. With a new coach on campus, there might be some new life for USC against California. Lincoln Riley could be in attendance to scout and watch the game of his future team. And let’s be honest, USC has some real talent at all positions.

Offensively, this game should be fun to watch. California should find plenty of holes in the running game, and USC’s talent should take over with Jaxson Dart getting more comfortable. I’ll grab the over here.

Pick: Over 58.5 (-110)

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Jason Radowitz is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Jason, check out his archive and follow him @Jason_Radowitz.

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