USC vs. Notre Dame spread, odds, props, line: College football picks, bets, predictions by expert on 19-6 run

The No. 10 USC Trojans (6-0) travel to take on the No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (5-2) on Saturday. Led by reigning Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, USC enters this matchup looking to keep pace in the race for the College Football Playoff. The Trojans are coming off a 43-41 triple overtime win over Arizona last week. Notre Dame entered the season with high hopes, but lost its second game of the season last week to Louisville, falling 33-20 to the Cardinals. This is one of the most storied rivalry games in college football, and the Irish have won four of the last five meetings and hold a 48-37-5 advantage in the all-time series.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday in South Bend, Ind. The Fighting Irish are 3-point favorites in the latest SportsLine consensus Notre Dame vs. USC odds, while the over/under is 60.5 points. Before making any USC vs. Notre Dame picks or bets, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine football expert Jimmie Kaylor. 

Kaylor is a NFL, college football, and DFS expert for SportsLine, who has covered the NFL and college football for close to a decade as a member of the Pro Football Writers of America. His background as a former college football All-American and NFL player gives him a unique perspective when building his fantasy lineups and locking in his betting picks. He has his finger on the pulse of the college football landscape and has been cashing in big for the last two years. 

Kaylor has been red-hot on his football picks for SportsLine in 2023, going 19-6 on his best bets, including a 5-1 mark in the USC-Colorado game, up to this point in the season. Anyone who has followed his picks is way up.

Now, he has set his sights on USC vs. Notre Dame and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see Kaylor's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Notre Dame vs. USC:

• Notre Dame vs. USC spread: Notre Dame -3
• Notre Dame vs. USC over/under: 60.5 points
• Notre Dame vs. USC money line: USC +121, Notre Dame -144
  
• USC: QB Williams leads college football with 22 TD passes.
• ND: The Irish have won four of the last five meetings with USC.
• Notre Dame vs. USC picks: See picks at SportsLine
  
• Notre Dame vs. USC live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why USC can cover

Notre Dame is in a brutal scheduling spot on Saturday night, facing a ranked opponent for the fourth straight week. The Fighting Irish have dropped two of their last three games, including a 33-20 setback at then-No. 25 Louisville last week. Quarterback Sam Hartman threw his first three interceptions of the season, and Notre Dame's defense allowed 26 points in the second half.

USC leads the country in points per game (51.8) and ranks fourth in total offense, averaging 523.3 yards per game. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Williams has thrown for 1,822 yards, 22 touchdowns and just one interception while rushing for six more scores. USC picked up a 38-27 victory when these teams met last season, and it has covered the spread in four of the last six head-to-head meetings between these teams. See which team to pick at SportsLine. 

Why Notre Dame can cover

Notre Dame is one of the most experienced Power 5 teams in the country. Junior Audric Estime is one of the few true three-down running backs in college football and has the ability to run between the tackles and catch passes out of the backfield. He enters this matchup with 105 carries for 692 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns with 10 receptions for 89 yards. He'll be facing a USC defense that allows 157 rushing yards per game.

The Irish also have a proven veteran in quarterback Hartman. The Wake Forest transfer enters this matchup completing 64.5% of his passes for 1,712 yards, 16 touchdowns, and three interceptions. He's also scored two rushing touchdowns. Hartman is one of the most productive quarterbacks in college football history, ranking sixth all-time with 14,679 passing yards and seventh all-time with 126 touchdown passes. See which team to back at SportsLine.

How to make Notre Dame vs. USC picks

Kaylor has analyzed this matchup from every angle and he's leaning Over on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.