Betting: Penn State-USC Spread Moves in Favor of Trojans

Penn State is still favored over USC but the spread isn’t as big as it once was.

As of Thursday morning, PSU was favored by 5.5-points.

The spread has moved in favor of USC, with Penn State being favored by 3.5.

If one believes that the home team is given three points, this would be the same as Penn State being favored by a touchdown at Beaver Stadium. Speaking of Beaver Stadium, this will be the first time Penn State has played away from its home in more than a month. Of its first five games, only the season opener against West Virginia took place away from Happy Valley.

BACK AT THE COLISEUM

Penn State is used to playing in some of college football’s most famous buildings. In fact, it plays in one of them five times a year. But the last time Penn State played at the Coliseum, nobody on this current team was alive. That was in 1991, when current associate head coach Terry Smith was a star receiver at PSU. Penn State had a great teamed that season, finishing 11-2 and No. 3 in the nation with a 25-point win over Tennessee  in the Fiesta Bowl. Had a 12-team College Football Playoff existed back then, Penn State would have been in it. At 5-0 and ranked No. 4, chances are solid that Penn State will make it. But if it can’t beat USC, those chances will drastically go down.

PSU AGAINST THE SPREAD

Penn State failed to cover the spread three times in 12 regular-season games last season. It’s already failed to cover three times in five games this season. Fortunately, Penn State was favored by at least three touchdowns in the games it didn’t cover. It won’t have that cushion against USC.