Wisconsin vs. USC prediction & betting tips - September 28 | College Football Week 5

An exciting Big Ten matchup on Saturday afternoon will pit the Wisconsin Badgers against the No. 13-ranked USC Trojans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This game has Alex Grinch, the Wisconsin defensive coordinator, returning to take on the team that fired him a year ago.

The Badgers (2-1, 0-0 Big Ten) were off last week and are coming off a 42-10 home loss against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Sept. 14. Backup quarterback sophomore Braedyn Locke will get the start as he is coming off throwing 13 of 26 for 125 yards with a passing touchdown.

The Trojans (2-1, 0-1) are looking to bounce back after Saturday's 27-24 road loss to the Michigan Wolverines. Junior quarterback Miller Moss struggled a bit against an elite defense as he went 28 of 51 for 283 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

Wisconsin vs. USC prediction

After getting embarrassed last week against the Michigan Wolverines in a game where the Wolverines threw for 32 yards, we expect the USC Trojans to come out hot here. The Trojans understand the defensive scheme the Badgers will come out with, as they had defensive coordinator Alex Grinch last season.

The Badgers will struggle to put up many points as starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke suffered a torn ACL in their last game. With Braedyn Locke now under center, expecting a shootout is a bit difficult. If Wisconsin can score 20+ points against this USC defense, which Michigan and LSU have been able to do, the over seemingly will be in play for this contest.

Wide receiver Zachariah Branch has been one of the top targets for quarterback Miller Moss each week, and this should be the game where Branch should finally get into the end zone for the first time this season. He has been getting targeted as he has four plus receptions each week in the early stages of the regular season.

All in all, go with the Wisconsin Badgers to score enough to keep the over as the better bet while the USC Trojans cover the spread.

Wisconsin vs. USC betting tips

Tip 1: USC Trojans -14.5 (-108)

Tip 2: Over 50.5 Points (-112)

Tip 3: Zachariah Branch Anytime TD (+130)

Wisconsin vs. USC head-to-head

This game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the USC Trojans is not something that happens often, but that will change as they are now conference opponents.

The Trojans hold a 6-1 all-time advantage over the Badgers. However, Wisconsin won the most recent matchup as these teams played during the 2015 season, where the Badgers secured a 23-21 win in San Diego, California, in the National Funding Holiday Bowl.

How to watch Wisconsin vs. USC

The Wisconsin Badgers vs. the USC Trojans will air live on linear television and streaming. The game will be broadcast on CBS as well as streamed on Paramount+, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live Sports, Sling TV, Fubo TV and DirecTV Stream.