Who is favored in Washington Huskies at USC Trojans?

USC Trojans are favored on the moneyline.

Washington Huskies at USC Trojans

Oct 3, 2026·6:30 PM CT·Los Angeles, CA

By JR·2 min read

WASH(3-1)

#18 USC(4-1)

6:30 PM

TLDR: USC started the season 4-0 before Oregon came into the Coliseum and handed the Trojans a 41-27 loss. Now Washington comes to town on Saturday, October 3, with an unbeaten start of its own and a quarterback who has been slinging it.

Week 5 · SAT OCT 3, 6:30 PM CT

Washington

(3-1)

LWWW

#18 USC

(4-1)

LWWWW

Kickoff96°12 mph

Washington brings a 3-0 start and a hot Demond Williams Jr. to the Coliseum to face a USC team that went 4-0 before a 41-27 home loss to Oregon. The Trojans' offense has put up points all season, but the defense has allowed 35 and 41 in back-to-back weeks and the offensive line lost Kilian O'Connor for the season. Washington's early numbers came against a soft schedule, so this road game is the Huskies' first real test.

Washington Huskies

Williams threw 4 first-half TDs against Eastern Washington
QB adds real rushing yardage on top of the arm
USC defense allowed 35 and 41 in its last 2 games
3 wins came against WSU, Utah State and EWU
First real road test of the season
Offense stalled at 0 passing TDs against Utah State

USC Trojans

Scored 39 or more in 3 of 5 games
Maiava gives them a veteran QB at home
Won a 42-35 road shootout at Rutgers
Gave up 41 at home to Oregon
OL Kilian O'Connor out for the season
Riley 5-15 against Top 25 teams at USC

The quarterback matchup is the reason to watch this one. Demond Williams Jr. has run Jedd Fisch's offense through a 3-0 start: 24-of-35 for 268 yards and a touchdown in the opener against Washington State, 249 yards and 56 more on the ground against Utah State, then 27-of-33 for 373 yards and 4 touchdowns against Eastern Washington, all 4 of them in the first half. On the other side, redshirt senior Jayden Maiava has had USC scoring in bunches. The Trojans put up at least 39 points in each of their first 3 games and won a 42-35 shootout at Rutgers.

The fine print cuts both ways. Washington's 3 wins came against Washington State, Utah State and Eastern Washington, and that's not a Big Ten road trip to the Coliseum. USC has more Power-conference film this year, but that film includes giving up 35 at Rutgers and 41 to Oregon in back-to-back weeks. The Trojans are also playing without offensive lineman Kilian O'Connor, who is out for the season with a non-contact injury. Oddsmakers still have USC as a comfortable home favorite.

The Oregon loss hangs over this week in LA. It dropped Lincoln Riley to 5-15 against Top 25 opponents at USC, and that's the stat that follows him around. Washington isn't in the AP poll, so a win Saturday won't touch that number. Still, a 1-2 Big Ten start 2 weeks after sitting at 4-0 is the kind of slide Trojans fans have seen before.

The O'Connor injury is the one to watch on USC's side. An offensive line that has to reshuffle for the rest of the season is a real problem against a Washington defense that has spent 3 weeks teeing off on overmatched opponents. If Maiava gets time, USC's offense has shown it can score with anyone on the schedule so far. If the pocket keeps collapsing, the Huskies can hang around.

Early forecasts have it hot and clear in Los Angeles, with the temperature in the mid-90s and a light wind. It's still 6 days out, so don't bet the house on the thermometer. If it does hold, a late-afternoon kickoff in that kind of heat makes depth on both lines matter more in the second half.

USC's defense is the biggest question in this game. Washington's is how much of a 3-0 start built on the in-state rival and 2 lower-tier opponents carries over to a road game in the Big Ten. Williams has earned the chance to prove it does, and the Coliseum is a fair place to find out.

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