USC Trojans Interesting Betting Odds In Big Ten Opener vs. Purdue Released

The USC Trojans are coming off another big win, starting the season 2-0. Looking ahead, USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are off to their first Big Ten conference game of 2025 against the Purdue Boilermakers. Betting odds for USC as the Trojans take on Purdue for their first away game of the season.

Oct 28, 2023; Berkeley, California, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans are 2-0 following another big win. USC coach Lincoln Riley and the Trojans defeated the Georgia Southern Eagles, 59-20. The Trojans now turn to their next matchup, the Purdue Boilermakers.

USC will face the Purdue Boilermakers on Sept. 13, who currently hold a 2-0 record. It will be the Trojans’ first Big Ten opponent of the season, and one team will lose its undefeated status.

Aug 30, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches from the sidelines against the Missouri State Bears in the first half at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Betting Odds

The USC Trojans are 23.5-point favorites against the Purdue Boilermakers on FanDuel Sportsbook. The moneyline for USC is -2800, and the total points are 58.4.

USC Offense Maintains Domination

The Trojans enter the week as massive favorites against Purdue, in large part due to USC's offense. Quarterback Jayden Maiava is looking like the next successful quarterback under Riley with back-to-back strong performances. He is poised in the pocket and making strong passes and good decisions.

In two games, Maiava has passed for 707 yards and six touchdowns. He has a 73.8 completion percentage and has yet to throw an interception.

Heading into the season, wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane were big storylines, and the two are already showing why they are the top targets for Maiava. Lemon leads the team with 248 yards and two touchdowns, but is right behind Lane with 124 and two touchdowns. 

Sep 6, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws a pass during the first half against the Georgia Southern Eagles at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Lane is coming off an impressive performance, making a one-handed touchdown reception. The two are big reasons USC is gaining early leads in games, and will have to step up against the team’s first Big Ten opponent.

Tight end Lake McRee has also been doing well, on pace to beat his season high of 262 receiving yards, already with 106.

The run game for USC has been dominant and explosive. The team has three running backs controlling the offense: Waymond Jordan, King Miller, and Eli Sanders. While Jordan has been the team’s No. 1 running back, Miller and Sanders can come in at any point for a big play. USC already has 542 total rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

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Defense Must Stay Focus

Dec 27, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts against the Texas A&M Aggies in the second half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

USC’s defense has done well this season, but they have to stay focused as Big Ten play approaches. While the defense did not have a bad game, there were sloppy moments, resulting in Georgia Southern scoring 20 points. As USC heads into Big Ten play, those mistakes can turn into losses at any moment.

Linebacker Eric Grentry is making his healthy return to the team known. He has 13 total tackles, all solo, and one sack, and is coming off a big game against Georgia Southern. Safety Bishop Fitzgerald is also making his presence known, with 10 total tackles and one interception, which was returned for a touchdown.

Defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has a talented unit, but he must make sure they clean up their mistakes before facing the Purdue Boilermakers.

How Purdue Can Put UP A Fight

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Purdue head coach Barry Odom speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The matchup against Purdue will be the first away game for USC. The positive side of that is that even with the timezone shift, the game kicks off at 12:30 p.m. PT and should not be a major concern. It is still an away game, giving Purdue an edge with home-field advantage.

The Boilermakers are 2-0, coming off a win against the Southern Illinois Salukis, and it will also be Purdue’s first Big Ten conference game. The Boilermakers finished last in the Big Ten last season, looking to turn things around this year.

Purdue is led by quarterback Ryan Browne, who has 481 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. USC will have to watch for Brown to utilize his legs, as he has 55 rushing yards and one touchdown.

The Boilermakers' leading rusher is Devin Mockobee, who has had 46 carries for 185 yards and three touchdowns. If USC can shut down Purdue’s run game early, the Trojans have a good shot of going 3-0.

The USC Trojans and Purdue Boilermakers will kick off at 12:30 p.m. PT. The game will take place at Ross-Ade Stadium.

• Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. 
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