Picking the Pac: Weekly Predictions and Betting Odds

With the fall of Oregon over the weekend, there’s no unbeaten teams remaining in the Pac-12. In a conference seeming to feed off cannibalism, there’s no telling who will be the next to fall in the vicious cycle. It’s a bit of an odd week for the conference, with four teams on a bye and the biggest game of the week being a Friday night affair, so there’s no telling what might unfold. 

Here’s this week’s slate of Pac-12 games, along with the kickoff time, betting odds, and picks from PHNX Sun Devils’ beat reporters Brittany Bowyer and Shane Dieffenbach. 

*All odds current as of 5:00pm Thurs. from DraftKings Sportsbook. Use code PHNX at signup.*

Teams with a bye this week include Cal, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.

Stanford @ #22 ASU – Fri., Oct. 8 at 7:30pm

Things can get crazy when teams play on Friday night. And when it’s a game featuring Stanford, you can almost always expect it to be a wild one. The Cardinal is coming into this week’s match-up against ASU bruised and battered following an overtime victory at home against Oregon. The hometown Sun Devils are hot right now, though, coming off their best performance of the season against UCLA. Two main things hanging in the balance which will likely determine the outcome of the game are Stanford’s overall health and Arizona State’s ability to execute in all phases. Arizona State, on paper, is the stronger and more talented team and should be able to get the job done. Not to mention, the Sun Devils also have a little extra inside knowledge from OL grad transfer Henry Hattis, who played for Stanford under Shaw from 2016-2020.

Britt’s Pick: Arizona State   

Shane’s Pick: Arizona State

Spread:  Arizona State -13.5

Total: 51

Moneyline: Stanford +380/Arizona State -500

Oregon State @ Washington State – Sat., Oct. 9 at 1:00pm

The Beavers hit the road this week following a significant win over the USC Trojans. Washington State finally has something to feel good about following its 21-6 victory over Cal. It’s probably going to be the least exciting game of the weekend, which is why they made it a day game.

Those looking to raise the stakes can enjoy betting on some of the props.

Britt’s Pick: Oregon State

Shane’s Pick: Oregon State

Spread:  Oregon State -3.5

Total: 59

Moneyline: Washington State +155/Oregon State -180

Utah @ USC– 5:00pm

Both teams are in the midst of turmoil and have gotten off to a rough start to the season. USC finally fired Clay Helton following the team’s loss to Stanford in week two. Quarterback Kedon Slovis left week three’s game against Washington State with a knee injury, where it ultimately looked like he may be replaced by freshman Jaxon Dart, until it was reported Dart was also injured in the game. 

Meanwhile, things are a little more stormy in Salt Lake City. Utah lost back-to-back non-conference games against BYU and SDSU before their quarterback decided to quit the team. The following week sophomore cornerback Aaron Lowe was shot and killed. Utah had a bye last week while USC suffered an embarrassing loss to Oregon State, and both are going to have two different kinds of emotional anger to express coming into this game. 

Britt’s Pick: Utah    

Shane’s Pick: Utah

Spread:  USC -3

Total: 53

Moneyline: Utah +135/USC -155

UCLA @ UofA – 7:30pm

There may not be a Division I football program weaker than the University of Arizona. Oct. 5 marked two years since their last win, and despite having a bye last week, it’s going to be enough to stop UCLA. The Bruins might be coming off a loss last week, but they’re a sound football team with the ability to make this a nightmare for the Wildcats in every way possible. Dorian Thompson-Robinson will look to pick apart the Wildcat defense while the Bruin defense is going to shut down the little offensive production UofA is normally able to produce. If the Bruins don’t bounce back with a win in this game, then we might have teleported to an alternate universe. 

Britt’s Pick: UCLA  

Shane’s Pick: UCLA

Spread:  UCLA -16

Total: 61

Moneyline: Arizona +500/UCLA -700