This season, Utah, Washington, and Oregon are favorites to win the PAC-12. The Utes have climbed to outright favoritism after Washington and Oregon got a bulk of the love before August. Will the Utes disappoint? Will Oregon live up to expectations? Check out 5 huge PAC-12 college football betting predictions for the PAC-12!
Five Fearless College Football Betting Predictions for PAC-12 in 2019
Utah will win the Pac 12 as the +260 favorite
Utah’s odds have dropped all the way to +260. Only two months ago, the Utes were the third choice behind the Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks to win the PAC-12. The reason? Washington and Oregon have gotten attention as College Football Playoff contenders.
Then, reality set in. Utah is loaded in 2019. The Utes might field the best defensive line in the nation. Quarterback Tyler Hunter, running back Zack Moss, and wide receiver Britain Covey all return. 3 offensive linemen, led by tackle Darrin Paulo, have big time experience.
The defense is very good on the second and third levels. The first level, the line, should dominate the rest of the PAC-12, though. Utah also plays in the Pac 12 South where they face awful teams like Arizona and Colorado and down on their luck squads like UCLA and USC. The defending PAC-12 South champs should repeat.
They should then smack around the Ducks, Huskies, or Washington State Cougars in the Pac 12 Championship Game. This season, Utah takes the PAC-12.
Oregon will lose 2 conference games
Before August rolled around, some believed the Oregon Ducks might go undefeated in 2019. The Ducks probably won’t go undefeated because the schedule is loaded. Oregon isn’t shying away from anyone, that’s for sure. They start their season versus the Auburn Tigers.
Auburn could be an out of conference loss. The Ducks figure to lose at least 2 conference games no matter what happens versus the Tigers on August 31. Oregon battles USC, Stanford, Washington, and ASU on the road.
ASU and Washington are the two likeliest losses. Washington State at home on Oct. 26 could be another conference loss while Oregon always struggles against Stanford. The Ducks could lose 4 conference games this season. Losing at least 2 seems like a lock.
Washington will only lose one game during the regular season
Washington’s lone loss should be to Utah at home on Nov. 2. The road game schedule is as soft as possible: BYU, Stanford, Oregon State, Arizona, and Colorado. The Beavers, Wildcats, and Buffaloes should be the three worst teams in the PAC-12. Stanford is rebuilding this season.
Even if Washington only loses a single game, they still won’t win the PAC-12 because Utah will beat them in the PAC-12 Championship. The Huskies went 4-10 ATS last season. But, because of tempered expectations, Washington could turn that around and go 10-4 against the spread this season.
Utah and Washington will garner bids to a New Year’s Day Bowl Game
The Utes and Huskies should play well enough in 2019 to get bids to New Year’s Day Bowl games. There’s an outside chance Utah makes it to the CFP. If they go undefeated, it will be hard to keep them out. However, if it comes down to taking an undefeated Michigan over an undefeated Utah, we know where the Selection Committee will side.
Washington will only have two losses, both to the Utes. Even if Utah doesn’t go undefeated, they should only have a single loss on their record. This should be a bounce back season for the PAC-12 if both Utah and Washington play to their talent levels.
USC will lose 4 conference games
Get out your college football schedule and circle the following 3 USC Trojan games: Utah, at Washington, Oregon, at Arizona State. The Trojans have talent. They always do. They also always fail to live up to that talent.
This season, USC could lose anywhere from 4 to 6 games. They also must travel to Notre Dame. The Trojans went 4-8 against the spread in 2018. Don’t be surprised if they go 3-9, or even 2-10 ATS this season with at least 3 moneyline losses as the favorite.
