LSU vs USC: Predictions, Best Bets, and Player Props

With the NFL regular season one week away, the Sunday primetime window opens up for college football to take in its true opening weekend. The matchup is truly a great one as the No. 13 LSU Tigers battle the No. 22 USC Trojans on Sunday at 7:30 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LSU features one of the best wide receiver duos in the country. The Tigers have senior Kyren Lacy paired up with Liberty transfer senior C.J. Daniels, a pair of 6-foot-2 athletes that can stretch the field for Garrett Nussmeier’s second career start.

USC is replacing a ton of talent as 29 players opted to transfer following their disappointing finish in 2023. With No. 1 pick Caleb Williams roaming NFL sidelines now, the Trojans have turned to senior Miller Moss to lead this team. He’ll have only three returning starters on offense to help this year.

Looking at the live odds at DraftKings Sportsbook, LSU is a 4 point favorite and the total is currently sitting at 64.

In one of the two Power 4 conference matchups to feature two ranked teams, will LSU or USC claim victory in Sin City? We’ll cover that and our three top player prop bets below.

LSU Tigers QB Garrett Nussmeier UNDER 280.5 Passing Yards

The Tigers featured a wide-open attack under Mike Denbrock last season, but he bolted for Notre Dame after the regular season. Now, Joe Sloan will lead the Tigers’ offensive unit this season.

Talk this offseason has centered around using running backs to power the offense, meaning LSU could be less reliant on Garrett Nussmeier to win games. Until proven otherwise, take the under on this player prop bet as 280 passing yards in a regular season debut is a huge expectation for a first-time starter in a new offensive scheme.

USC Trojans RB Woody Marks UNDER 65.5 Rushing Yards

The Trojans reached into the transfer portal to add former Mississippi State running back Woody Marks to the team after Marshawn Lloyd was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in April. Marks had 573 rushing yards and 167 receiving yards at the SEC school last season to lead running backs in both marks for the Bulldogs.

With Miller Moss running the offense, it’s hard to imagine USC not being more reliant on its running game in 2024. With LSU featuring tons of returning talent in the defensive backfield, expect the Trojans to find running difficult on Sunday. Marks should not cover this player prop bet.

LSU Tigers WR Kyren Lacy OVER 69.5 Receiving Yards

In LSU’s 35-31 win over Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl, Nussmeier found Lacy six times for 95 yards to showcase their first time together in the starting lineup. Expectations are high for the senior wide receiver to continue producing this season.

No player on either team has a higher bar than Lacy’s player prop mark for the regular season opener. Expect Nussmeier to target Lacy early and often, and the Tigers’ top wide receiver should easily finish with a game-best mark on Sunday that covers the prop wager.

Best Bet: LSU -4.5

USC brought in a ton of talent to replace their transfers, but the Trojans lost seven starters from their defense and brought in cross-town rival coordinator D’Anton Lynn to fix the unit’s problems. An offseason isn’t nearly enough to solve USC’s defensive woes from 2023, especially with so many new players.

Expect LSU to continue to showcase an explosive offense in 2024, and their defense should be vastly improved this season with a senior-laden defensive front and returning production from last year’s interior and backfield behind them. This should easily be a double-figure victory margin for the LSU Tigers.