USC vs Notre Dame Spread and Picks ATS

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Notre Dame Stadium

Matt Fink and the USC Trojans head to Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday where they'll meet the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The spread on this game has Notre Dame as 11.5-point favorites. The Trojans are 2-3-0 ATS and 2-3-0 when betting on the total. The Fighting Irish are 2-3-0 when wagering on the over/under and 4-1-0 against the spread.

Key USC Trojans Injuries

10/06/19 WR Amon-Ra St. Brown Foot is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 CB Isaac Taylor-Stuart Concussion is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 TE Josh Falo MCL is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 S Talanoa Hufanga Concussion is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 RB Vavae Malepeai Knee is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 WR Kyle Ford Knee is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 TE Ethan Rae Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
10/06/19 QB Kedon Slovis Concussion missed last game, is questionable Saturday vs Notre Dame
09/06/19 WR Bru McCoy Illness is out indefinitely
09/01/19 QB JT Daniels Knee is out for season
08/17/19 LB Solomon Tuliaupupu Foot is out for season

Key Notre Dame Fighting Irish Injuries

10/06/19 WR Braden Lenzy Concussion is questionable Saturday vs USC
10/06/19 WR Chase Claypool Ankle is questionable Saturday vs USC
10/06/19 WR Jafar Armstrong Groin is upgraded to questionable Saturday vs USC
10/06/19 WR Lawrence Keys lll Foot is questionable Saturday vs USC
09/29/19 DL Daelin Hayes Shoulder is out for season
09/29/19 CB Shaun Crawford Elbow is out indefinitely
08/28/19 WR Kevin Austin Suspension is out indefinitely

The last time they played, the USC Trojans took on the Washington Huskies and took the loss by a score of 28-14. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Trojans was Matt Fink who went 19/32 with 163 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He walked away with 3 interceptions in the game. Stephen Carr led the team on the ground for that contest. He tore off a long run of 60 yards but he wasn't able to run one in for a touchdown. He ran for a total of 94 yards by way of 7 carries which had him averaging 13.4 yards per tote. Michael Pittman Jr. led the team in receiving yardage by earning 64 yards on 4 receptions. He earned an average of 16.0 yards per catch for that contest. The Trojans ended up running the ball 33 times and racked up 212 yards which had them averaging 6.4 yards per rushing attempt. Overall, they ran 65 plays for a total of 375 yards. For the game, the Trojans earned 18 1st downs and they had 8 penalties for 80 yards telling us that this team was extremely undisciplined. On the defensive side of the ball, USC allowed 16 completions on 26 tries for a total of 180 yards, and a completion percentage of 61.5%. For the game, they allowed a total of 374 yards and earned 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Trojans allowed 194 yards on 34 attempts which gave the opponent an average of 5.7 yards per run allowed.

The Trojans step onto the field holding a record of 3-2 for 2019. For total yards, they currently sit at 9th in the Pac-12 and 65th in Division 1 with 2,147 yards. In terms of scoring, they are one of the marginal teams in the country averaging 29.4 points per game, putting them 69th in Division 1. As a unit, they have an average of 137.2 yards on the ground per game which is 8th in the conference. The Trojans have one of the average defenses in the nation, allowing 24.8 points per contest ranking them 6th in the Pac-12 Conference. In regard to yards on the ground, USC is allowing 175.2 yards per contest putting them 10th in the Pac-12 and 89th in the country. Opposing teams are running for an average of 4.5 yards per carry which has them at 10th in the conference and 90th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 876 yards rushing through 5 games. When it comes to passing yards, the Trojans have conceded 1,461 yards. Teams are completing 60.6% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 7.2 yards per attempt.

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In their last game, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish played the Bowling Green Falcons and won 52-0. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Fighting Irish was Ian Book who went 16/20 with 261 yards passing and added 5 touchdowns. He finished this contest without throwing a pick. Tony Jones Jr. paced the team on the ground for that contest. He had a long run of 36 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He rushed for a total of 102 yards by way of 7 carries which gave him an average of 14.6 yards per tote. Javon McKinley was the receiving yardage leader by earning 104 yards on 5 receptions. He notched an average of 20.8 yards per reception for that contest. The Fighting Irish ended up rushing 34 times and earned a total of 233 yards which earned them an average of 6.9 yards per rushing attempt. In all, they totaled 61 plays which added up to 573 yards. Overall, the Fighting Irish earned 27 first downs and they had 1 penalty for 5 yards which tells us that we had a very focused team on our hands. On the defensive side of the ball, Notre Dame allowed 15 completions on 27 throws for a total of 110 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.6%. Against the run, the Fighting Irish allowed 118 yards on 42 attempts which means they allowed 2.8 yards per attempt allowed. In the game, they gave up 228 yards and forced 1 takeaway.

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The Fighting Irish come into this game with a record of 4-1. In terms of offensive proficiency, the Fighting Irish have one of the top tier offenses in Division 1. Notre Dame is making teams consider moving more up into the box by averaging 168.8 yards on the ground per game, ranking them 59th in the country. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 844 yards rushing through 5 contests, so they will want to continue to try to improve on the run game so opponents will have to respect all facets of the game. The Fighting Irish average 450.2 yards per game overall ranking them 39th in Division 1 and 1st among Independent teams. The Fighting Irish are conceding 14.8 points per contest ranking them 1st among Independent teams and 14th in the nation. Their passing defense is one of the top units in Division 1. They are allowing 183.2 passing yards per game. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Fighting Irish are ranked 1st among Independent teams. When talking about points given up, they have allowed 74 points in total. In terms of yards rushing, they are allowing 149.2 yards per contest ranking them 63rd in Division 1 and 2nd among Independent teams. For the 2019 season, they have given up 746 yards on the ground and 5 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Trojans/Fighting Irish college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Trojans +11.5

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