#15 Michigan vs. USC Picks and Predictions: Wolverines Head to Los Angeles

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Makai Lemon and the Trojans have a tough game against the Ducks this Saturday on the road - USC Oregon Picks

The Michigan Wolverines head to the historic Los Angeles Coliseum to take on the USC Trojans this Saturday. They carry a top 20 ranking, coming in at No. 15 in the country, while the Trojans are unranked following their loss on the road to Illinois. USC has had a full week to think about that conference defeat as they prepare to hand Michigan their first Big Ten loss of the season. Will Lincoln Riley rally the troops and pull through? Or does the Bryce Underwood show perform well under the lights in Hollywood? Find out with our favorite picks.

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#15 Michigan Wolverines vs. USC Trojans NCAA Football Insights

The Wolverines are 4-1 this season and 2-0 in Big Ten play, with their one blemish coming on the road to the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman. They had a strong win in Lincoln over Nebraska two weeks ago, and then handled business against Wisconsin. But they travel three time zones across the country, all the way to the City of Angels to face a well rested, very good USC Trojans team.

Lincoln Riley’s squad started off by running up scores on bad teams. They put up 73 on Missouri State and 59 on Georgia Southern, before beating Purdue on the road (scoring 33) and Michigan State back at home (scoring 45). USC even put up 32 points on the road against Illinois (their toughest opponent and lowest scoring contest), but came up short despite a valiant effort in the fourth quarter. The Trojans scored 15 points in the final 10 minutes of the game, taking a lead with 1:55 on the clock. But Luke Altmyer lead a great drive down the field, topped off with a 41 yard game winning field goal for an Illini victory (yay for my win total).

They’ve had a whole week to relish in that loss. Surely they come fired up for this ranked opponent on Saturday.

Matchup Information – Michigan vs. USC – October 11

  • Venue & Location: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA)
  • Date: Saturday, October 11, 2025
  • Kick Off: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
  • Broadcast: NBC

Michigan vs. USC Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of October 8, 2025 at 11:37 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus. BetOnline offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.

Spread

  • Michigan +2.5 (-112)
  • USC -2.5 (-108)

Moneyline

  • Michigan +115
  • USC -135

Total

  • Over 57.5 (-110)
  • Under 57.5 (-110)

There’s a classic narrative in college basketball that (hopefully) applies to the college gridiron this weekend. In college hoops, when you have an unranked home favorite hosting a ranked opponent, the favorite covers at a phenomenal rate. I’ll take the spread out of that equation and just back USC to get the job done.

#15 Michigan vs. USC NCAA Football Picks and Predictions

Jayden Maiava and the Trojans face the Michigan Wolverines at home - Michigan USC Picks

Jayden Maiava and the Trojans face the Michigan Wolverines at home

Michigan vs. USC Prediction: USC Wins & Covers, Over 57.5

Best Bet: USC ML (-135) BetOnline

USC is at home and they are coming off both a loss and a bye week. Jayden Maiava has much more starting experience than Bryce Underwood, and he failed to show up against Oklahoma. Sure, he got the win at Nebraska, but I think USC is way ahead of the Huskers in terms of talent. They are scoring 59 points per game at home, and yes, I am worried about their defense. But turning this into a shootout is exactly what they want to do.

The Trojans had 490 yards of offense, were 8/14 (57.1%) on third down and 4/5 (80%) on fourth down against Illinois. Coming off a bye week and a conference loss, I am not worried about them looking ahead to South Bend next Saturday. Riley will make sure the whole team is focused on taking down the big, bad Wolverines. This is Michigan’s first time traveling three time zones this season, and the offense wasn’t all that great on the road.

They put up just 288 yards and 13 points against Oklahoma, only scoring a touchdown because of a 75 yard run from Justice Haynes. They were 3/14 on third down against the Sooners and 4/12 against the Huskers, converting a measly 26.9% of their third downs in a road environment. If the Trojans can turn this into a shootout (which I believe they can), the Wolverines simply will not be able to keep up.

Give me USC to win convincingly this weekend at home.

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