Posted on 10/17/2007 9:22:34 PM

College Football Betting: USC Trojans at Notre Dame Fighting Irish

By Charles Jay

BetUS college football betting odds: USC -17.5, Total: 45

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish, coming off two straight respectable performances, will try to pick up their second win of the season on Saturday, but they will obviously have their hands full when they take on the Trojans of the University of Southern California in a matchup scheduled for 3:30 PM ET on the natural grass of Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN. The visitors from USC are listed at -17.5 in the BetUS NCAAF betting odds, with a posted total of 45 points.

USC is 5-1 SU (straight-up) and 3-3 ATS (against the spread). In six games, the Trojans have played five of them under the posted total. After suffering its only loss of the season two weeks ago against Stanford, USC squeezed out a 20-13 win over Arizona last weekend, not coming close to covering the 20.5-point spread as the favorite. Notre Dame's season has been a downer, to say the least. The Irish are 1-6 SU and 3-4 ATS, playing six of seven games under the total. Two weeks ago Notre Dame, a 21-point underdog, beat USC's cross-town rival, UCLA by a 20-6 margin, despite only 140 offensive yards. Last week, as a 14-point dog, they lost 27-14 to Boston College, currently the #2 team in the USA Today poll.

Notre Dame and USC are traditional rivals, playing each other every year. In the HEAD-TO-HEAD college football betting trends:

* USC has covered four of the last five meetings

* USC has won the last five meetings straight-up

* USC and Notre Dame have played five of the last seven meetings over the total

* USC has scored 40 points or more in four of the last five meetings

* USC has averaged 29.9 ppg over the last 10 meetings

* The road team has covered five of the last six meetings

Last season USC, as a nine-point home favorite, won by a 44-24 score, which of course went over the posted total of 56 points. Both teams gained 404 yards of total offense.

Notre Dame has made yet another change at quarterback this week. Coach Charlie Weis has lifted Jimmy Clausen in favor of Evan Sharpley, who was 11 of 29 for 135 yards and a touchdown against Boston College last week. Weis says Sharpley "gives us the best chance to win." The Irish have been consistently poor on offense, ranking dead last (119th) in rushing (with one yard a carry), total offense and protecting the passer (934 sacks allowed). Notre Dame, however, is 50th in total defense and 27th in passing efficiency defense. Also:

* Notre Dame is 7-16-1 ATS in its last 24 games

* Notre Dame is covered just two of its last nine home games

* Notre Dame has won 10 of its last 14 home games SU

* Notre Dame has played seven of its last eight games under the total

USC is still smarting from the dramatic come-from-ahead loss it suffered at the hands of Stanford, as a 39-point favorite two weeks ago. In last week's game they looked to be just trying to recover from it, and turned in a lackluster performance against Arizona. QB John David Booty, who has a broken finger, sat out the Arizona game, and backup Mark Sanchez went 19 of 31 for 130 yards and two interceptions in his place. Booty is listed as doubtful for this game - one of many injuries that have plagued the Trojans. USC is 24th in the nation in rushing offense and fifth in rushing defense, allowing opponents just 2.3 yards a carry. However, they have a minus-6 turnover ratio. Currently USC is tied for ninth in the USA Today poll, 13th in the AP poll, and 14th in the newly-released BCS standings. Also:

* USC has won 22 of its last 24 road games SU

* USC is 2-10 ATS last 12 as a double-digit favorite

* USC is 9-13 ATS last 22 as a road favorite

* USC is 2-5 ATS in its last seven road games

It certainly seems as if USC, the 17.5-point favorite in the BetUS NCAA football betting odds, has gotten the better of Notre Dame in recent seasons. But the Trojans, who are routinely overpriced, have not had much success covering on the road or as a sizable favorite. Notre Dame does very little to deserve consideration on the basis of technical trends, making this a standoff from that perspective. USC's numerous injuries may tip the pointspread scale in favor of the Irish.

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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com loves to help people pick winners. He is a regular contributor to the BetUS.com Locker Room)