The USC Trojans take on the Cal Golden Bears on Thursday in an ESPN night game with two teams looking to get back on track. The Trojans are looking to come out of their bye week with a strong showing while the Golden Bears search for a win after two straight losses to Washington and Oregon. The Trojans currently stand as three-and-a-half point favorites in this contest.
Both teams are comfortable scoring the ball: the Trojans score 30.0 points per game while the Golden Bears score 34.6 points per game. The two squads are also mediocore defensively: the Trojans surrender 26.4 points per game while the Golden Bears give up 28.0 pints per game.
The difference in this game could come down to mentality: the Trojans are coming off of a bye week and will have fresh legs. Cal, meanwhile, has played tough road games in back-to-back weeks and may have its hands full with the Matt Barkley-Robert Woods duo that has wrecked havoc on the Pac-12 this year.
The week off gives the Trojans an edge and should allow them to cover the spread. The game should be close, though, with both teams determined to get a win and determined to create some positive momentum.