With fall camp now underway all over the country, just weeks stand between the country and one of it’s favorite pastimes: gambling on unpaid student-athletes. This week, Rivals.com is taking a look at Las Vegas’ projected win total for each Power Five Conference program and ventures a guess on the over-under for the 12-game regular season. Today, we examine the Pac-12.
Sports gambling is illegal 49 states, so the following picks should be used for entertainment purposes only. Unless, of course, you live in Nevada, in which case it’s totally cool to bet your children’s’ college tuition based on the halfwit advice imparted below.
MORE CONFERENCE OVER/UNDERS: ACC | Big Ten | Big 12
Note: Win totals were taken from Betus.com. In the event that no total was listed on the site, the total was pulled from Bovada.lv.
ARIZONA - 5.5
UNDER. There’s no reason to expect 2017 Arizona to look that much different from 2016 Arizona, which went 3-9. On the surface, six wins seems like a pipe dream. Then again, when a line looks too good to be true, it usually is.
ARIZONA STATE - 5.5
OVER. The offense boasts a talented running back tandem and two quarterbacks that were once viewed as future stars. And while the defense will be shaky once again, the schedule is frontloaded with home games.
CALIFORNIA - 3.5
UNDER. This is a very bad team that will finish with a very bad record. Wide receiver Demetris Robertson is fun to watch, but it’s also fun to watch yourself avoid giving away money.
COLORADO - 7.5
UNDER. Yeah, Yeah. Whatever. Don’t complain to me. You have better things to do, like dispensaries on every block.
OREGON - 8
UNDER. Oregon returns a healthy amount of starters, including the bulk of both lines. That said, is bringing back the bulk of a team that went 4-8 a good thing? A case could be made either way.
OREGON STATE - 5.5
UNDER. Oregon State has some talent, but it also has a lot of “ifs.” The Beavers can become bowl eligible if they find a quarterback and if they plug holes in the secondary.
STANFORD - 8.5
UNDER. Quarterback Keller Chryst may or may not be ready for the Cardinal’s opener after missing the offseason with a knee injury. Even if he’s ready to go from day one, finding nine wins will be tough. Stanford faces a tough schedule, and opens the season with a stretch of road games.
UCLA - 6.5
OVER. Star quarterback Josh Rosen and company barely save Jim Mora’s job and UCLA fans are divided on whether that’s a good or bad thing. Good times.
USC - 9.5
OVER. If young receivers prove to be reliable targets for Sam Darnold, everything else should fall into place. It’s hard to imagine the Trojans falling short of 10 wins.
UTAH - 6.5
OVER. Quarterback Troy Williams is back for his senior season after bursting on the scene out of junior college a year ago. The once-dominant defensive line will have some new faces, but Utah has solid depth and has won nine games or more in each of the last three seasons.
WASHINGTON - 9.5
UNDER. On one hand, the Huskies return star quarterback Jake Browning and Chris Petersen is a top-tier coach. On the other hand, there are concerns in the secondary and Washington hasn’t won double-digit games in back-to-back seasons since 1991.
WASHINGTON STATE - 7.5
OVER. Mike Leach’s program will bring its offensive firepower. The Cougars return a quarterback and three ruining backs from last year’s team. The schedule suggests that a 4-0 start is possible (if not likely).