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USC Trojans vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Week 8 Betting Predictions & Preview

USC vs Notre Dame NCAA Football Handicapping

The latest chapter in the storied rivalry between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and USC Trojans will be written on Saturday when the teams face off in South Bend. Notre Dame came out on top in last year’s meeting, but haven’t beaten USC at home since 2001, losing five in a row to the Trojans in South Beach.

USC Trojans (4-2) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (4-2)
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2013
Time: 7:30 PM ET
Venue: Notre Dame Stadium
City: South Bend, Indiana
O/U Odds: 51.5
Spread: Notre Dame -3
Money Line: Notre Dame -155, USC +135

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The Trojans have scored at least 31 points in each of their last five trips to South Bend, but it appears they will again be without standout wide receiver Marqise Lee, who continues to battle a knee injury.

Even without Lee, the Trojans were able to put up 38 points in a 38-31 win over Arizona last week, in interim head coach Ed Orgeron’s first game at the helm. The team was able to run the ball very effectively against the Wildcats, thanks in large part to Orgeron’s philosophical switch, adding more formations with extra backs lining up in the backfield.

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The team generated 249 yards on the ground against Arizona. The bulk of that came from running back Silas Redd, who turned 19 totes into 80 yards. Quarterback Cody Kessler had arguably his best game as a Trojan, completing 15 of 30 passes for 297 yards, including a pair of long scores in the first quarter, a 62-yard hook-up with Nelson Agholor to open the scoring, then a 63-yard connection with Tre Madden to extend the USC lead. The Trojans generated 546 yards of offense in the game.

The USC defense wasn’t quite as impacted by the coaching change, allowing Arizona to score 31 points and generated 508 yards of offense.

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Arizona’s two big players did what they wanted. Running back Ka’Deem Carey rushed for 138 yards on 21 carries, while quarterback B.J. Denker completed 28 of 44 passes for 363 yards and four scores.

Notre Dame is coming off a hard fought win over Arizona State, 37-34. Quarterback Tommy Rees led the way for the offense, completed 17 of 38 passes for 279 yards and three scores with an interception. His favorite target on the day was T.J. Jones, who brought in eight balls for 135 yards and a score.

The Notre Dame defense performed better than the game’s final score indicates, as 21 of Arizona State’s points came in the fourth quarter, including a meaningless touchdown with 11 seconds to play. The unit allowed only 65 yards on the ground in the game.

The added rest is going to help the Irish in a big way in this game, and could be all the difference in this one. The Trojans will keep the game close, as these games seem to always be, but Notre Dame has the horses up front to slow USC’s rushing attack just enough to come out on top.

The play: Notre Dame ML -155

By Gino Bottero

Gino is new to CappersPicks.com but NOT new to the online gambling industry.He's got an AMAZING knack for discovering hidden gems when it comes to betting on sports. Stick with him as he predicts when a team will have a letdown! Check Gino out for NBA, NHL, NFL, and MLB betting articles all season long!