USC vs. Rutgers prediction, odds, line: 2024 Week 9 college football picks, Friday bets by proven model

The USC Trojans (3-4, 1-4) and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4-3, 1-3) each look to end three-game losing skids when they face off in Big Ten action on Friday night. Lincoln Riley’s team has blown fourth quarter leads in three straight games, most recently falling late to Maryland, 29-28. Meanwhile, an injury-riddled Rutgers team crosses three time zones following a 35-32 home loss to UCLA.

Kickoff from United Airlines Field at the LA Memorial Coliseum is 11 p.m. ET. Trojans are 14-point favorites in the latest USC vs. Rutgers odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 56.5, up from opening at 51.5 Before making any Rutgers vs. USC picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks and it is 14-7 on top-rated picks over the past four weeks of this season. Anyone who has followed it on betting sites has seen strong returns.

Now, the model has dialed in on USC vs. Rutgers and just revealed its coveted picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college football betting lines and trends for Rutgers vs. USC.

• USC vs. Rutgers spread: Trojans -14
• USC vs. Rutgers over/under: 56.5 points
• USC vs. Rutgers money line: USC -629, Rutgers +447
• USC: 4-3-0 ATS this season
• RUT: 3-3-1 ATS this season
• USC vs. Rutgers picks: See picks here
• USC vs. Rutgers streaming: FuboTV (Try for free)

Why Rutgers can cover

The Scarlet Knights are going to lean heavily on star running back Kyle Monangai, who has 154 carries for 845 yards with 10 touchdowns this season. Monangai compiled 19 carries for 106 yards and three touchdowns in Week 8, including two fourth-quarter touchdowns that brought Rutgers close to tying things up with UCLA. 

He will be going up against a USC rush defense that is allowing 4.5 average yards per attempt and 30.7 average attempts per game. Rutgers receiving corps is depleted, so Monangai will be tasked with carrying the offense on Friday if the Scarlet Knights are going to keep things close on the road. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why USC can cover

The Trojans have a slight advantage since this game is being played at home. USC is 3-0 against the spread at home this season. USC’s Achilles heel has been blowing fourth-quarter leads, so Riley’s defense will have to buckle down late. 

Quarterback Miller Moss has a 12-6 TD-INT ratio against conference opponents but has a 6-2 ratio at home with a 65.1 completion percentage. He will go up against a Rutgers defense that is giving up 385.3 average yards this season. Rutgers has also struggled on the road, losing nine of its last 11 road games. SportsLine’s model is projecting that Moss surpassed 300 yards in the simulation. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make USC vs. Rutgers picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the total, projecting 54 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can see the model’s pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Rutgers vs. USC, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that is up well over $2,000 on top-rated spread picks since its inception, and find out.