A classic college football rivalry game will take place on Saturday when Notre Dame faces USC in Los Angeles. Notre Dame is a win away from a likely bid in the College Football Playoff, but that win might not be so easy to get against a tough USC team. USC is a 7.5-point home underdog, while the total for the game stands at 51.5 points. Keep reading to get our college football picks for Notre Dame vs USC from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Win and In For Notre Dame?
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish destroyed another service academy in their last outing, blowing Army out 49-14 to improve to 10-1 on the season. Without a conference or a conference title game to worry about, the Fighting Irish will likely get into the College Football Playoff with a win over USC despite losing to Northern Illinois earlier in the season. The Fighting Irish rank in the top-10 in the country in scoring offense and defense this season, but they will have to avoid slipping up in this rivalry game if they want to earn a spot in the playoff.
USC Looks to Wreck Rival’s Playoff Chances
USC has won two straight games and three of their last four coming into this weekend’s action. Here, USC will look to finish their regular season on a high note while costing Notre Dame its shot at making the playoff. And USC is at home this week, which has meant great things for them all season long. USC has lost just once at home this year, falling to a top-five Penn State team in overtime. Another strong performance at home for the Trojans this week could have a huge impact on the College Football Playoff and which teams get in.
Notre Dame vs USC Prediction
Our best bet for Notre Dame vs USC is for the USC Trojans to cover the spread as a home underdog of a little more than a touchdown. USC has proven it can go toe-to-toe with elite competition at home already this year. Expect them to do the same in this game as they take on a Notre Dame team that has a mediocre strength of schedule rating to this point in the season.
