The Pac-12 has two undefeated teams, but there’s a six-way tie atop the standings in what some observers consider the most important measure of success.
Half the conference is 4-2 against the spread (ATS) through six weeks, while one team remains winless in that category.
The following records ATS are taken from teamrankings.com.
4-2: USC, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, Utah, UCLA and Oregon
3-2: Cal
3-3: Arizona State and Arizona
1-4: Stanford
0-5: Colorado
To the details …
Lines from vegasinsider.com
Trends from oddsshark.com and Phil Steele’s College Football 2022
Idle: Oregon, UCLA and Arizona State
Cal at Colorado
Line: Cal -14.5 (total: 48.5)
Comment: Both teams are coming off a bye with CU playing its first game since coach Karl Dorrell’s dismissal. (Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford is the interim coach.) The home team has won the past five matchups and covered the spread three times. The Bears usually are one of the best Under plays in the conference, but this series has been Over in five of the last seven meetings. The Buffaloes are winless against the spread this season. Cal won 26-3 last year in Berkeley, limiting the Buffs to 104 total yards.
Arizona at Washington
Line: Washington -15.5 (total: 71)
Comment: Two teams reeling from losses, with Washington’s defeat in Tempe coming as a two-touchdown favorite. The Huskies are 4-0 at home this season — and covered the spread each time — while Arizona hasn’t won a conference road game since the middle of the 2019 season. The Over has been the right call in six of Washington’s last seven games and in six of Arizona’s last nine. UW has covered the spread in its past five home games against the Wildcats, who haven’t won outright in Seattle since 2007.
Stanford at Notre Dame
Line: Notre Dame -14.5 (total: 52.5)
Comment: Tough assignment for the Cardinal having to travel across the country one week after the last-minute meltdown against Oregon State. Stanford hasn’t beaten a major college opponent in 53 weeks and has covered the spread just once in its last 12 games (against the Beavers on Saturday). The Irish have covered in the past three series matchups, including a 45-14 beatdown of the Cardinal at the end of last season.
USC at Utah
Line: Utah -3.5 (total: 60.5)
Comment: The game of the week in the conference (5 p.m. on FOX) has title implications for both teams. The Utes have covered the spread in four of the past five matchups against USC in Salt Lake City. (The one time they didn’t? The COVID season, when it was USC’s third game and Utah’s first.) The Over has been the right call in five of the past seven meetings. USC’s last road game, at Oregon State, produced just 31 points — not close to the total (68) — but Utah’s defense is not up to its usual standard.
Washington State at Oregon State
Line: Oregon State -3.5 (total: 52.5)
Comment: Trends lean heavily toward the Cougars, who have won eight in a row in the series, with each victory by at least four points. Also, they have covered the spread in four of the past five meetings. No word yet on the status of Beavers quarterback Chance Nolan, who missed the game at Stanford with a neck injury. (If he’s unavailable, Ben Gulbranson likely will make his second consecutive start.) OSU has an eight-game home winning streak against the spread. Given WSU’s stout defense, the Under looks enticing.
