The Inside Zone

The Inside Zone

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The Inside Zone
The Inside Zone
Week 5 picks: Familiarity breeds contempt

Week 5 picks: Familiarity breeds contempt

This week we look at several close rivalry games, plus two great offenses (and two bad defenses) that are getting together in the Pac-12. How will it all shake out?

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Matt Fortuna
Sep 29, 2023
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The Inside Zone
The Inside Zone
Week 5 picks: Familiarity breeds contempt
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Can Illinois turn things around against a familiar foe?

Let’s close this first month out strong, shall we?

USC under 48.5 points (-110) at Colorado (DraftKings). USC leads the nation in scoring, averaging 55 points per game. Colorado is 128th in total defense. So this number makes sense on the surface. But remember, this is a 9 a.m. Pacific Time kick for the Trojans, who also happened to have played in a patented #Pac12AfterDark game last Saturday at Arizona State, kicking off at 10:45 p.m. ET. Those turnarounds often lead to flat performances. Look no further than last week with Colorado’s offense, which rebounded from its late-night thriller over Colorado State by scoring a whopping 6 points at Oregon. USC can score at will against this Buffaloes’ defense, but 48.5 is way too high of a number.

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