USC vs. LSU prediction, picks, spread, football game odds, where to watch, TV channel, live stream

Week 1 will see No. 13 LSU and No. 23 USC square off on Sunday night in what is set to be one of the most exciting nonconference matchups of the 2024 college football season. The Tigers and Trojans are set to clash at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas for the second Vegas Kickoff Classic.

It’s nothing new for LSU to start its season with a neutral-site game. The Tigers played Florida State in New Orleans and Orlando, Florida, in the first week of the 2022 and 2023 seasons, both contests LSU lost. In fact, the Tigers haven’t won a season-opening contest since a 55-3 win over Georgia Southern in 2019.

To be fair to the Tigers, their last four first-round games have come against Power Four competition. They have bounced back from last year’s opening loss to win 10 games for the second consecutive season under Brian Kelly.

Lincoln Riley has posted a 2-0 record in his two season openers as USC’s coach, though this will be the first time in his tenure that the Trojans will start the year against a power conference team. They’re looking to put an 8-5 2023 campaign behind them — the worst record of Riley’s career — and make a big impact while transitioning to a loaded Big Ten Conference. A primetime game against a top-15 SEC opponent certainly provides that opportunity.

USC vs. LSU: The need to know

Both teams will replace a Heisman winner: It’s not every day that we get to see a game between two teams that had to start their season by replacing a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. As for USC, the Trojans will have to move on without Caleb Williams, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Tigers are turning to longtime backup Garrett Nussmeier, who will take over from reigning Heisman winner Jaden Daniels, who was drafted right after Williams at No. 2 overall. It will be interesting to watch USC’s Miller Moss and Nussmeier play with such high expectations on this game.

USC is trying something new on defense: Like the quarterback transition, both teams involved in this game also made major changes on the defensive side of the ball. USC’s decision to move on from coordinator Alex Grinch, Riley’s longtime colleague since the Oklahoma days, is particularly interesting. The Trojans went to the other side of town and hired D’Anton Lynn to replace him. Lynn has long been viewed as a rising star in the industry. Under his guidance a year ago, the Bruins led the Pac-12 in total defense (299 yards per game) and ranked second in scoring defense (18.1 points per game). By comparison, USC averaged nearly twice as many points (34.9) and allowed nearly 140 yards (438.8).

Resetting expectations: Both Riley and Kelly are entering Year 3 at their respective programs and it seems like neither has accomplished as much as they set out to. Neither has won a conference championship. Neither has even come close to making the College Football Playoff. With a combined 39 wins between the two over a two-year period, it’s hard to say their tenures have been bad. Given their track records, the programs they’ve coached, and the performance of some of the individual players under their guidance, both still have a lot left to achieve. The new 12-team playoff gives each coach an increased opportunity to eventually move on. A win on Sunday would go a long way in boosting their chances.

How to watch USC vs. LSU live

date: Sunday, September 1 | Time: 7:30 pm ET
Place: Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas
TV: ABC | Live Stream: fubo (try it free)

USC vs. LSU prediction, picks

Given the way Moss and Nussmeier performed in their respective bowl games last season, both should take the field as full-time starters. It helps that USC and LSU are always stacked at the skill talent positions, with plenty of flashy weapons to help smooth the transition. The Tigers, in particular, are buoyed by one of the best offensive lines in the country. And there’s a reason each team decided to make a change at defensive coordinator: Both of these defenses were really bad last season. While it may not take long for a new quarterback to adapt, it may take at least a few games for each new defensive coordinator before they’re able to seamlessly implement their gameplan. All of this is to say, expect a lot of points to be scored. Choose: Over 64.5

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