Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

USC Trojans Betting Line Revealed For Home Opener Against Missouri State Bears

Originally posted on USC Trojans on SI | By Cory Pappas | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 9:03 PM ET

The USC Trojans will kick of their 2025 season against the Missouri State Bears on Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. USC is a heavy home favorite in their opener.

What is the current spread?

USC Trojans Favored in Home Opener Over Missouri State

USC has opened up as a 34.5 point favorite over the Missouri State Bears per FanDuel Sportsbook. This will be the first time these two schools have ever played each other in football.

USC got off to a 2-0 start last season before they stumbled down the stretch. The will look to get off to another hot start in 2025. USC will turn to quarterback Jayden Maiava. Maiava started the final four games for the Trojans in 2024. In his starts, USC had a record of 3-1. Will he be able to carry over this success?

Missouri State on the other hand had a record of 8-4 last season. They went 6-2 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.

Lincoln Riley's Fourth Season As USC Coach

Lincoln Riley will get his fourth season underway as coach in Los Angeles when USC takes the field on Aug. 30. USC is coming off of a tough 2024 season in which they went 7-6. What made this especially frustrating was the amount of games that slipped away from them in the fourth quarter. In five of their six losses, USC had a lead in the fourth quarter but was unable to seal the deal.

USC has regressed each season since Riley took over in 2022, at least when it comes to the number of wins. Riley’s first season was a massive success. Coming off a 4-8 season before Riley got there, USC did a complete 180 and went 11-1 during the regular season before ending their season with back-to-back losses in the Pac-12 Championship and Cotton Bowl.

The Trojans offense was a fireworks show with star quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams ended up winning the 2022 Heisman trophy. He returned for one more season in 2023. Expectations were high for USC, and rightfully so.

The offense was still very good with Williams in 2023, but the defense was a problem. They allowed a staggering 34 points per game. USC finished the season with a record of 8-5 and Williams was then taken No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

2024 was a step forward for the defense under first year defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn and they allowed 10 fewer points per game (24), but this this time the offense took a step back. What does 2025 have in store for this team?