Despite their record-setting performances on offense, the USC Trojans left a lot to be desired for head coach Lane Kiffin after their season-opening 49-36 win over Hawaii last week. With the pressure that has come on the school for activities that happened off the field over the past few years, it is crucial for coach Kiffin and his staff to steer the program in the right direction, and return it to respectability. A poor defensive performance and some sloppy play all around had Kiffin fuming after the victory, although some of his players were just happy to bask in a positive spotlight following months of question marks. USC will look to continue with the positive feelings, and the only way they can do so is with a win in their home opener this Saturday against the Virginia Cavaliers. Virginia Cavaliers @ USC Trojans Saturday September 11, 2010 – 10:30 PM ET Los Angeles Coliseum, Los Angeles, California Online Sports Betting Odds: USC – 8.5 Betting Preview: Virginia The Cavaliers opened their 2010 schedule with a blowout win over the Richmond Spiders, spanking them 34-13 to avoid joining only two teams in the ACC to open their seasons with a loss in North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Virginia has a tough schedule early on with games against ranked teams in three of the next four weeks, so it will be crucial for the Cavaliers to play their best football early this season. Senior running back Chris Payne led the way in the opening win with 114 yards and four touchdowns, and will try to duplicate that effort against a USC team that gave up 36 football betting points to Hawaii. Betting Preview: USC Matt Barkley threw a record-five touchdowns in the season opener at Hawaii, pacing the Trojans to a big road victory to open their season. Three of those five scores went to wide receiver Ronald Johnson, who showed fans why he has been so highly touted at the position. While USC hardly missed a beat on offense, the defense struggled for the most part providing coach Kiffin for a reason not to be satisfied with his team’s performance. This will be a big game for the Trojans to reward their loyal fans with a win, as after this USC will travel in consecutive weeks to both Minnesota and Washington State before heading back home to play Washington. There is no reason to think the offense will slow down against the Cavaliers, but the defense will have to be much better to avoid an upset here. The Match Up: Virginia vs USC Kiffin will not rest on his team until this cloud that lingers over them eventually disappears, and it will take years for the program to return to respectability. USC struggled on the road against Hawaii, and although they will win at home this week, they shouldn’t be expected to cover the spread. NCAA Football Betting Pick: Virginia + 8.5
Re: NCAA Football Betting – Trojans Determined To Prove Worth When They Welcome Virgi This is an interesting matchup. If Virginia can play solid defense, the +8.5 would be a good bet.
