Line: USC -17, Total: 56

Line movement: The Wynn opened USC -17 on Sunday, jumped to -17.5 nearly immediately, before underdog money pushed the line down to -16.5 on Monday.  The point spread has since been bet back to -17, where it sits across Vegas as of this Thursday morning posting. Visit our odds page for updated college football betting lines.

Trends that matter: Washington is 9-1 ATS off a bye in its last 10…USC is 15-7 ATS last 22 off a bye.

UNDER is 27-10-1 in USC’s last 38 as a home favorite of at least 10 points, but the OVER is 9-2 in its last 11 in that scenario.

MORE: Washington-USC matchup, stats, trends

Washington outlook: If there’s one thing Washington can do, it’s stop the run. Opponents are averaging just 3.0 yards per carry to rank 15th in the nation. The defense replaced almost all its key players, including three first-round picks, but has rebuilt quickly. It’s 4.4 yards per play allowed ranks 20th in FBS.

The Huskies have been excellent in the second half this season, going 3-0 against the second-half spread. They’re 2-2 straight-up, losing by a combined nine points to Boise State and Cal. Since Chris Petersen took over prior to last season, Washington is outscoring its opponents in the second half by an average of 12 points per.

MORE: Washington stats and trends

USC outlook: If Washington’s best asset is run defense, USC’s is its offense. Its 5.4 yards per carry is 15th-best in the nation. QB Cody Kessler has completed 73 percent of his passes at 9.5 yards per attempt with 15 TDs and one interception. He will have his hands full with this Washington defense, though.

Other than a 41-31 loss as a 9.5-point home favorite to Stanford, USC has been money this season, cashing as favorites in its other three games.  Most recently, the Trojans rolled 42-14 at Arizona State.  They’ve also covered big spreads against Idaho and Arkansas State.

MORE: USC stats and trends

Pick: We like the opportunity to take a 17-point underdog that has the better coach and better defense against a favorite in a look-ahead spot.  Washington +17 is the play from the Sporting News staff.

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