It was another interesting week in the Pac-12. Pac-12 favorites Oregon lost to rival Oregon State, all but ending the Ducks’ playoff hopes. Arizona State’s third straight game was canceled due to COVID concerns. Moreover, multiple teams had to shuffle their schedules around, as Colorado played a non-conference opponent.
If anything is guaranteed about this Pac-12 season, it’s that it won’t go as planned. It would be a minor miracle if all six games this weekend are played as they’re scheduled. As such, Sports betting fans should monitor the status of each game throughout the week. But, we’ll preview them as they currently stand.
Washington State vs USC
Sportsbook Odds: -13½
If there were a game most likely to be canceled this weekend, it’s this one. It’s already been moved to Sunday to allow more time for players in COVID protocol to be cleared to play. Washington State and USC both had their games canceled in Week 4.
The Cougars lost 43-29 against Oregon in Week 2 of Pac-12 play and haven’t played since. It’ll be interesting to see how all of the time off affects their play. RB Max Borghi has returned to practice and there is some uncertainty surrounding his return. The Cougars defense has allowed a whopping 516 yards per game in their two games this season.
In any case, USC has gone 3-0 and looked like a solid football team. After eking out two wins to open the season against Arizona and Arizona State, the Trojans dominated Utah in Week 3. It was the first time they covered the spread this season and they’ll hope their momentum isn’t lost from the week off.
Colorado vs Arizona
Odds: Colorado -7
The Buffaloes played the Pac-12’s first non-conference game of the season last weekend. Their game against USC was canceled but they managed to adjust their schedule to face San Diego State. The Buffaloes held the Aztecs to their lowest point total this season and improved to 3-0. Colorado is 3-0 against the spread and has held opponents to 343 yards per game. The latter is good for second in the Pac-12.
Arizona dropped to 0-3 as the WIldcats were defeated 27-10 by UCLA. Multiple Wildcats players opted out of the remainder of the season before the game. Arizona has limited DB depth after the opt-outs and has little to play for in the final two weeks. QB Grant Gunnell was injured on the opening play of the game against UCLA and didn’t return. Gunnell was one of the few bright spots for the Wildcats and it’ll be a huge blow if he can’t return.
UCLA vs Arizona State
Odds: Arizona State -3½
UCLA has often looked like a good football team after going 7-17 in Chip Kelly’s first two seasons as head coach. The Bruins held Arizona to 10 points last weekend en route to a 17 point victory. They had an impressive 281 rushing yards against the Wildcats with RB Demetric Felton totaling a career-high 206. UCLA stands at 2-2 and are longshots to make the Pac-12 title game. But, Chip Kelly’s Bruins can cement his first .500 season at UCLA with a win here.
Arizona State hasn’t played since Nov. 7 and is 0-1. In their 28-27 loss against USC, the Sun Devils looked like they could make some noise in the Pac-12 South. Their season has been derailed by persistent COVID 19 issues. UCLA has played three games in the meantime. So, the Bruins appear to be at an advantage at least as far as continuity is concerned.
Oregon State vs Utah
College Football Odds: Utah -9½
Oregon State pulled off a shock upset against Oregon, 41-38. It was a storybook ending for backup QB Chance Nolan. He won the game on his first collegiate snap with a QB sneak. The bad news for Oregon State is that QB Tristan Gebbia was injured on the prior snap, but it doesn’t appear to be too serious. Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson has lit up the Pac-12. He totaled rushing 226 yards against the Ducks with two touchdowns and has 675 rushing yards in four games. He ranks 10th in the NCAA with 7.4 yards per carry.
Things started out well for Utah against Washington. The Utes entered halftime with a 21-0 lead. But, they allowed Washington to score 24 straight points and complete a comeback victory. Utah dropped to 0-2 with a tough loss. On the positive side, the Utes have forced five turnovers in two games and managed to outrush the Huskies 215-88. They’ll need more consistent QB play to win this one.
Oregon vs Cal
Odds: Oregon -9½
Oregon’s resilience will be tested as the Ducks try to bounce back from an upset loss. They’ve already dealt with a bunch of injuries and more COVID opt-outs than any other Pac-12 team. The offense has proven to be consistent but their defense is another story. They’ve given up 38 points per game in their last two games and have badly underperformed the spread in each.
Cal has disappointed more than any other team in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears have been favored to win in all of their games this year and have lost all of them. They had an opportunity to tie their Week 4 game against Stanford late in the fourth quarter. But, their PAT was blocked, leading to a 24-23 loss. Cal has to be more careful with the ball to have a shot against what should be a motivated Oregon team.
Stanford vs Washington
Odds: Washington -10
Stanford got its first win of the season against Cal in Week 4 of Pac-12 play. QB Davis Mills had an efficient outing as he completed 24-of-32 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown. RB Austin Jones added two touchdowns and 85 rushing yards. There are still causes for concern for the Cardinal. Stanford has averaged 2.9 yards per carry on 56 rushing attempts in its last two games and is 10th in the Pac-12 in points per game.
Washington has played its way to the top of the Pac-12 North. The Huskies’ toughest test of the season is next week against Oregon, in the regular-season finale. It’d be easy for them to take their foot off of the gas here and they had a scare last week against Utah. The Huskies scored 24 straight second-half points on the Utes to come back from a 21-point deficit. The fact that the Huskies were able to win despite three Dylan Morris interceptions, may be a good sign. The Huskies have the best scoring defense in the Pac-12 as they’ve allowed 23 points per game. But, they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games against Stanford.
