Washington, Oregon, and Utah are the favorites to win the Pac 12 Title this season. However, in terms of odds, Washington State and USC aren’t that far behind. Which team among the favorites has the best shot of winning the conference? What team presents the best underdog Pac 12 Title possibility? Check out the 2019 PAC-12 Championship odds and analysis!
2019 PAC-12 Championship Odds, Predictions & Picks
- Washington +180
- Oregon +200
- Utah +550
- Washington State +700
- USC +800
- Stanford +1600
- California +2500
- Arizona State +2500
- Arizona +2800
- UCLA +3300
- Colorado +6600
- Oregon State +10000
Which team among Washington, Oregon, Utah, Washington State, and USC has the best chance of winning the PAC-12?
It’s difficult to see either Washington State or USC winning the conference. Washington State must start a new quarterback. Although Mike Leach’s offensive system almost always leads to good quarterback play, the Cougars will need great quarterback play, and great defensive play, to upset both Washington and Oregon in the Pac 12 North Division.
USC might not win more than 7 games during the regular season. The Trojans’ offensive line yielded 27 sacks last season. The line doesn’t appear to be much better this season than it was last season while the defense will struggle to keep teams like UCLA and Arizona from scoring at will.
That leaves us with Oregon, Utah, and Washington. Which team among the three has the best chance of Pac 12 glory?
On paper, Oregon looks like the team to beat. The big question is whether the Ducks are ready to take the next step and if Justin Herbert, their Heisman Trophy contending quarterback, is overrated or not. Herbert has shown flashes of being the first pick in the NFL Draft. If he’s really that good, Oregon could win the Pac 12. If he isn’t, or if he hasn’t developed the way Ducks fans have hoped, Oregon will finish behind Washington in the Pac 12 North. Questions swirl around the Ducks, making them tough to back at the odds.
It’s difficult to decide between Washington and Utah. The deciding factor rests on what you prefer, offense or defense. Utah should field the top defense in the Pac. Coach Kyle Whittingham said that at least three NFL players will start along the defensive line. Utah ranked first against the run in the conference last season and second overall. They should rank first overall in the Pac 12 this season.
Washington only returns a single starter on their defense. On offense former Georgia starting quarterback Jacob Eason transferred to Seattle. Eason will start behind an offensive line that returns 4 starters. Although Utah and Oregon have a shot to beat the Huskies, an experienced offensive line, especially an experienced O-line like Washington’s, trumps everything else. The chalk has the best shot of winning the PAC-12.
Which +1600 to +3300 team has the best chance of winning the 2019 PAC-12 Championship?
UCLA is getting some press because Chip Kelly coaches the Bruins. UCLA doesn’t have nearly as good of a shot of winning the Pac 12 South Division as Arizona State, though.
Arizona State boasts 5 seniors along the offensive line. Those seniors will open up truck sized holes for ASU’s star running back Eno Benjamin. The Sun Devils must replace last year’s starting quarterback Manny Wilkins, but if they do, forget it. The Devils should lead the PAC-12 in rushing yards.
ASU’s defense is also tight. The defense is up and coming. The real question regarding the Sun Devils defense is whether the line can gel early on in the season. If the line get it together before ASU’s first conference battle versus Colorado on Sep. 21, the Sun Devils should be the top contender to Utah’s march to the Pac 12 South Division title.
Can the Colorado Buffaloes or Oregon State Beavers win the 2019 PAC-12 Championship this season?
The easy answer is no. Oregon State should be one of the worst teams in the nation. Colorado, though, might surprise. The Buffaloes have some talent on both sides of the football while new head coach Mel Tucker coached at Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio State.
Tucker will get Colorado to play above their talent level. Outside of Utah, the PAC-12 South isn’t that deep of a division, which means Buffalo has a chance to win it. Colorado most definitely is worth a long look if you want to back a real longshot.
