We are back with more picks! USC put the pressure on Vegas this week with their Friday night game, but we will make our way through. Kessler and the boys seem to have an off week when it comes to winning the game, though we have said that before (Stanford anyone?). Yet that doesn't mean we have it any easier. The Vegas crew has a large line on this week's game, and that means it comes down to who controls the flow of the game.
This week's Pick of the Week comes to us from the Big 12 as we have a matchup between two playoff hopefuls.
USC at Colorado +16.5
USC: 6-3 (5-4 ATS)
Colorado: 4-6 (3-6-1 ATS)
Key Stat: Last Week Ronald Jones III set the USC Freshman record with 177 Rushing Yards against Arizona
After a rocky start to the season, USC seems to be back on track. The offensive switch from a passing to rushing attack has been big for the Men of Troy. Since the firing of Coach Sarkisian and the loss to Notre Dame immediately following his departure, USC has won 3 in a row. The wins over then #3 Utah, at Cal, and Arizona have shown one thing to fans of the Trojans: they run the rock. At the beginning of the year we knew there was a stable or running backs on the team. Now we know that is how they win. This is a huge number but Colorado is terrible and USC should roll and continue to do so for weeks to come.
Verdict: USC -16.5
USC at Colorado +/- 60.5
USC: +/- 4-5
Colorado: +/- 4-6
Key Stat: USC only gives up 22.6 points per game
The general rule of thumb is to take the over, but I would be cautious in this situation. As mentioned above, USC will be run heavy. That means fewer plays and fewer possessions. Colorado's offense shouldn't pose much of a threat, so this line will come down to how many points USC can win by. If they put up 45+ points there is a chance this goes over, but the under seems like a safe assumption.
Verdict: Under 60.5
PICK OF THE WEEK: 12 Oklahoma at 6 Baylor -2.5
Oklahoma: 8-1 (7-2 ATS)
Baylor: 8-0 (4-4 ATS)
Key Stat: Oklahoma is on a 3 year losing streak against Baylor, but has an overall head-to-head record of 21-3
This is the best game of the week around the nation, and looking at the aforementioned numbers, it seems like an easy play. Oklahoma is 7-2 ATS and seems to be vastly underrated. Remove their choke against Texas and they are near perfect. Meanwhile, for all of Baylor's offensive accolades, they are merely a .500 team ATS. This line is close and I believe Oklahoma is the best team in the Big 12. Baker Mayfield will lead the Sooners to a close money-line victory and that means a winner here.
Verdict: Oklahoma +2.5