USC vs. Stanford odds, spread, lines: Week 2 college football picks, predictions by computer model

College Football Power Index picks, predictions for USC vs. Stanford

USC and Stanford meet up on The Farm this Saturday in a Week 2 matchup between two old Pac-12 rivals.

Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are coming off a statement 66-14 win over Rice looking to prove that the season opener wasn't a fluke. 

Stanford is hoping to make a statement of its own amid a string of poor showings under head coach David Shaw, but coming off a 31-point win over Colgate in which E.J. Smith — son of Emmitt — scored 2 TDs on 11 carries and went over 100 yards rushing.

What do the experts think of the matchup? Let's see how the College Football Power Index computer prediction model projects the game.

USC vs. Stanford odds, spread, line, predictions

Week 2 college football schedule: USC at Stanford / USA Today Images

Football Power Index is siding with the Trojans by a comfortable margin, as the visitors have a 74.6 percent chance to defeat Stanford on the road.

By contrast, the Cardinal has a 25.4 percent shot to upset Southern Cal.

Oddsmakers favor the Trojans, who come into the game as 8.5 point favorites, according to SI Sportsbook, which set an over/under mark of 67.5 points for the matchup.

FPI placed USC at No. 14 overall in its latest college football rankings, projects it to win 9.6 games on the season, and estimates the team to be an average of 13.4 points better than the teams on its schedule.

Stanford comes in at No. 61 overall on the index, estimated to win 4.9 games this season with a 34 percent chance to qualify for a bowl game.

AP top 25 voters liked what they saw in USC's opener and jumped the team to No. 10 in the official Week 2 poll.

College Football Power Index

ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance. 

Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season, using a combination of analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, and a team’s schedule.

College football rankings

According to AP top 25 poll

1. Alabama
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Michigan
5. Clemson
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Notre Dame
9. Baylor
10. USC
11. Oklahoma State
12. Florida
13. Utah
14. Michigan State
15. Miami
16. Arkansas
17. Pittsburgh
18. NC State
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. BYU
22. Ole Miss
23. Wake Forest
24. Tennessee
25. Houston

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