College football picks Week 0: San Jose State vs. USC prediction, odds, spread, game preview, more

The No. 6 USC Trojans will open their season with a home gane against the San Jose Spartans at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. The game will air Saturday, August 26 at 8 p.m. ET on the Pac-12 Network.

USC is looking to build off of an 11-3 season with returning quarterback and defending Heisman winner Caleb Williams. The Trojans enter the season as a +1500 bet to win the College Football Playoff and Williams is +450 to repeat as the Heisman winner.

San Jose State finished 2022 with a 7-5 record even though the Spartans lost three of the final four games. They ended the season with a loss to the Eastern Michigan Eagles in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl 41-27.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

San Jose State: 94th overall, 94th offense, 94th defense
USC: 10th overall, 2nd offense, 47th defense

Injury update

San Jose State

TE Jackson Canaan - Questionable (undisclosed)RB Jakob Galloway - Questionable (undisclosed)

WR Justin Lockhart - Questionable (undisclosed)

USC

None

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2022

San Jose State: 4-8 ATS
USC: 8-6 ATS

Total in 2022

San Jose State: Over 5-6-1
USC: Over 11-3

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: USC -31
Total: 66
Moneyline: USC -6500, San Jose State +2000

Opening line: USC -30.5
Opening total: 66

Weather

Partly cloudy skies with the temperature in the mid-upper 70s at kickoff. Light winds to the southwest with less than a 10% chance of rain.

The Picks: USC -30.5, Over 66

The USC offensive show should continue in Week Zero. The Trojans will score and score a lot against the Spartans. There’s no concern with what USC is capable of on offense. Defense, on the other hand, is a different story all together. This is going to be a good test for a defense that tried to improve itself through the transfer portal.

Thirty points is a lot to cover so I feel more comfortable checking out the over, but here’s to new beginnings for the Trojans defense and a 52-21 victory.