Photo by Troy Wayrynen, USA Today
Pac-12 Football Picks: Two Blockbuster Games on the Conference Slate for Saturday
After a week of forgettable matchups, the Pac-12 offers two huge games this week.
And Cal has a bye, so we can all settle into the sofa and watch teams that still know their way to the end zone.
Utah goes against Washington at 1 p.m., and Oregon visits USC at 5 p.m. Both games are on Fox, and both will go a long way toward determining which teams will play in the Pac-12 championship game at Levi’s Stadium on Dec. 6.
All picks against the spread
Lines taken from vegasinsider.com (opening lines used)
Last week: Jake 2-3, Jeff 2-3
Season: Jake 32-33, Jeff 31-34
Utah (minus-3) at Washington
Jake: The Huskies will stay close at home, but if Utah QB Tyler Huntley is healthy, the Utes should beat the spread. Pick: Utah
Jeff: I was very impressed by the Utes last week, but winning at Washington is not easy for anyone. And Utah is 1-8 all-time at Husky Stadium. Pick: Washington
Oregon State (plus-7) at Arizona
Jake: The Beavers have already won two Pac-12 road games and seem to be getting better. Arizona’s defense has been horrible. Pick: Oregon State
Jeff: Yes, the Wildcats have dropped three in a row, but the losses were to Washington and on the road vs. USC and a Stanford team equipped with K.J. Costello. OSU’s wins have come against a UCLA team that still was scufling and at Cal, with all its offensive ills. Pick: Arizona
Oregon (minus-7) at USC
Jake: Oregon has been squeaking out victories lately. This one will come down to the final minutes and it’s a tossup which team will win. Pick: USC
Jeff: Two teams playing for the chance to potentially meet in the Pac-12 title game. I like Oregon to won, but that point spread is a bit too much at the Coliseum. Pick: USC
Colorado (plus-4 1/2) at UCLA
Jake: Teams headed in opposite directions, and I expect the trends to continue. Pick: UCLA
Jeff: At last, Chip Kelly has the Bruins playing well. UCLA is averaging nearly 36 points the past three games. Pick: UCLA
