USC vs. Utah odds: Trojans open as road underdogs

This upcoming weekend’s USC vs. Utah odds didn’t open favorably for the Trojans, despite beating previously unbeaten and ranked Colorado at the Coliseum.

The Pac-12 South might be on the line Saturday night at Rice-Eccles Stadium, making the USC vs. Utah odds a notable line for the week. The Utes (4-2, 2-2), are fresh off two-straight dominant wins in conference and have opened as 6.5-point favorites, according to Vegas Insider.

With momentum stemming from triumphs over a Bryce Love-less Stanford and a Khalil Tate-less Arizona, combined with recent betting trends, there’s plenty of reasons to give Utah an edge.

USC has lost two-straight heartbreakers in Salt Lake City and since Clay Helton took over as USC’s interim head coach three years ago, the Trojans are 7-16 against the spread on the road. As road dogs, it gets even worse. They’re 1-10 both straight-up and against the spread, with the lone win being over playoff-bound Washington in 2016.

That trip to Seattle defined the season for the Sam Darnold-led Trojans, serving as validation for what was an uncertain five-game winning streak after an early season loss to Utah.

A win Saturday night for USC could do the same, with Troy entering on the back of three-straight victories of the less-than-inspiring kind.

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But while a loss to Utah would be damaging for the Trojans, giving the Utes the chance to control their own destiny in the Pac-12 South, the schedule is favorable enough the rest of the way that USC could still be alive even with a loss.

Utah still has to play Pac-12 North leader Oregon at home and travel to Boulder to face forced-rival Colorado, while the Trojans’ final stretch features the conference’s cellar dwellers: Oregon State, Cal and UCLA.

Nonetheless, a win at Rice-Eccles would be a sizable shift in the perceived strength of USC, while giving them a commanding lead in the division.

USC vs. Utah will kickoff at 5:00 p.m. Pacific (6:00 p.m. locally) and be broadcast live and in color on the Pac-12 Network.