by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Sep 30, 2026
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, October 3, 2026
Venue: LA Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: NBC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Washington +9.5, USC -9.5; Over/Under: 58.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Washington +9.5, USC -9.5; Over/Under: 58.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Washington +9.5, USC -9.5; Over/Under: 58.5 points
Season Record
Washington Huskies: 3-1 (0-1) (10th place, Big Ten)
USC Trojans: 4-1 (1-1) (9th place, Big Ten)
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Washington Huskies: lost their last game at home against the Minnesota Golden Gophers 27-24.
USC Trojans: lost their last game at home against the Oregon Ducks 41-27.
Washington Huskies vs USC Trojans Preview and Analysis
Washington is entering this game with a 3-1 record overall and they have a 0-1 record in their conference games too. They are 3-1 in their home games, 0-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They lost their last game against Minnesota 27-24. Demond Williams Jr. was the starting QB and he completed 18/28 passes for 239 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Brian Bonner Jr. led the team in rushing yards with 23. Dezmen Roebuck led the receivers with 87 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Zaydrius Rainey-Sale led the defense in that game with 8 tackles while Isaiah Ward and Jacob Manu each led the defense in sacks with 0.5. Taariq Al-Uqdah came away with the only interception for them in that one.
USC is entering this game with a 4-1 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their conference games too. They are 3-1 in their home games, 1-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Oregon 41-27. Jayden Maiava was the starting QB and he completed 23/42 passes for 326 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 interception. King Miller led the team in rushing yards with 74. Kayden Dixon-Wyatt led the receivers with 114 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Christian Pierce and Deven Bryant each led the defense in that game with 7 tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Washington vs USC Prediction
The current betting odds have USC listed as a 9.5 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. USC has looked good in their games this season with their 4-1 record overall, but their 1-1 conference record has them right in the middle of the Big Ten. They have looked good on their home field with their 3-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, Washington has looked good in their games this season with their 3-1 record overall, but their 0-1 conference record has them in the bottom half of the Big Ten. They haven't played any road games yet and will be playing their 1st road game of the year here. Washington is coming off their 1st conference loss of the season and they took a 27-24 loss at home to Minnesota who isn't a top team in the Big Ten. Washington had a lot of promise this season, entering the year ranked inside the top 25, but they have lost that ranking now. They haven't looked good in any of their games, struggling to beat bad opponents like their 16-14 win over Utah State, and the offense has been a big issue for them too. They haven't been putting up many points in their games this season and their QB hasn't looked good after having a bit of a controversy in the off-season, trying to leave in the transfer portal at the end of last year. Washington looks like a disaster right now and they are getting an angry USC team looking to take out their frustrations after taking their 1st loss of the season. USC hasn't looked great in the conference themselves, having a lot of trouble in their win over Rutgers and now coming off a 41-27 loss to Oregon in their last one. Oregon is still one of the best teams in the Big Ten with the talent they have and USC was right in that game for a while. USC also has a ton of talent on offense and that hasn't been an issue for them this year, putting up a ton of points in every game. Their defense has still been an issue, but they will look a lot better against this Washington offense that hasn't been putting up points. Look for USC to bounce back at home and pull away with that strong offense while Washington struggles to keep up in their 1st road game of the year. The best way to place a bet here is on USC to cover the spread in this game.
Washington USC Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 3, 2026 (7:30 pm ET start time) is USC 42 Washington 24.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Washington Huskies: 18-28 ATS after 3 or more consecutive losses against the spread. 18-24 ATS after a loss by 6 or less points. 1-7 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 13-2 OVER off an upset loss as a double digit favorite.
USC Trojans: 22-14 ATS off a home loss against a conference rival. 8-3 ATS off a home loss by 14 or more points. 22-15 ATS off 3 or more consecutive overs. 32-19 OVER in a home game where the total is between 56.5 and 63.
Key Injuries
Washington Huskies: C. Moss (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Limar (RB) Out - Upper Body. Q. Carr (RB) Out - Undisclosed.
USC Trojans: R. Tezeno (WR) Questionable - Foot. S. Huard (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. R. Ison (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. D. Redeaux (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Reddick (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Simms (WR) Questionable - Undisclosed. T. Mosley (WR) Out - Knee. K. O'Connor (OG) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“We're gonna have to figure it out with the two or three guys we got right now.” - Jedd Fisch on the running back room after his team’s loss against Minnesota in their last game.
“Certainly (there was) an energy change when Dante got hurt.” - Dan Lanning after his team’s win against USC in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Washington Huskies
WR Lawson, Chris
WR Williams, Rashid
WR Roebuck, Dezmen
TE DeGraaf, Decker
QB Williams Jr., Demond
RB Bonner Jr., Brian
USC Trojans
WR Hines, Tanook
WR Dixon-Wyatt, Kayden
WR Williams, Zacharyus
TE Bowman, Mark
QB Maiava, Jayden
RB Miller, King
Statistical Leaders
Washington Huskies
Passing: Demond Williams Jr. (1,129)
Rushing: Demond Williams Jr. (165)
Receiving: Dezmen Roebuck (308)
Touchdowns: Rashid Williams (3)
USC Trojans
Passing: Jayden Maiava (1,499)
Rushing: King Miller (412)
Receiving: Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (372)
Touchdowns: Trent Mosley (4)
Coaches:
Washington Huskies: Jedd Fisch (3rd season)
USC Trojans: Lincoln Riley (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
