USC vs. San Jose State odds, spread, time: 2023 college football picks, Week 0 predictions from top model
The No. 6 USC Trojans kick off the 2023 college football season when they host the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday evening. USC posted an 11-3 record last year, winning 11 of its first 12 contests before losing to Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game and Tulane in the Cotton Bowl. San Jose State is coming off a 7-5 campaign during which it lost three of its final four games, including a matchup with Eastern Michigan in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
Kickoff at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Trojans are 30.5-point favorites in the latest USC vs. San Jose State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 66. Before making any San Jose State vs. USC picks, be sure to .
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on USC vs. San Jose State and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college football odds and betting lines for SJSU vs. USC:
- USC vs. San Jose State spread: Trojans -30.5
- USC vs. San Jose State over/under: 66 points
- USC vs. San Jose State money line: Trojans -7826, Spartans +1838
- USC: The Trojans are 69-16-7 in season openers at home
- SJSU: The Spartans haven't beaten a ranked team on the road since defeating No. 10 Baylor on Nov. 1, 1980
- USC vs. San Jose State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why USC can cover
The Trojans have dominated the Mountain West, going 34-1-1 overall against teams from that conference and 5-0 versus San Jose State. They also have excelled at home of late as they were a perfect 7-0 at the Coliseum last year and have won 15 consecutive season openers at home dating back to 1997. USC has posted a 461-146-27 record at the stadium since it opened in 1923, not including six victories that were vacated due to NCAA penalty.
Quarterback Caleb Williams is back for his junior season after capturing the Heisman Trophy in 2022. After transferring from Oklahoma to be reunited with head coach Lincoln Riley, the 21-year-old finished third in the nation with 4,537 passing yards and led the country with 42 touchdown tosses in his first year with the Trojans. Williams also led the Trojans in TD runs as he recorded 10 of the team's 30 rushing scores. See which team to pick here.
Why San Jose State can cover
The Spartans had a knack for holding on to the football last season as they were first in the Mountain West and third in the nation with only nine turnovers, including a program-record two fumbles. Quarterback Chevan Cordeiro began the campaign with five straight interception-free performances and finished with just six in 427 pass attempts. San Jose State finished with a plus-11 turnover margin to lead the conference and rank third in the country.
Cordeiro set career highs in his first campaign at San Jose State with 3,251 passing yards, 23 TD tosses and nine scoring runs, which were the most by a Spartans signal-caller in a single season in the modern era. Running back Kairee Robinson led the team with 10 rushing touchdowns after recording a total of three in 30 games over his first three years. A 23-year-old native of Honolulu who spent four years with the University of Hawaii before transferring, Cordeiro needs 26 touchdown passes to match the Mountain West record for most in a career held by BYU's Max Hall, who recorded 94 from 2007-09. See which team to pick here.
How to make San Jose State vs. USC picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting 67 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.
