Pac-12 Football Picks: Stanford Is a Two-Touchdown Underdog to ASU

Point spread for that Friday night game has fluctuated. Oregon State, USC, UCLA favored

Only four Pac-12 games are scheduled for this weekend, and the big one takes place in Tempe, Arizona.

Stanford, which handed Oregon its first loss last week, heads to the desert to face Arizona State in a Friday night game that will be televised nationally in ESPN.

Stanford and Arizona State have not met since 2018, and this game is a tough one to pick as indicated by the fact that the point spread has been changing through the week.

Despite its upset of the Ducks, Stanford opened as a 12-point underdog to the Sun Devils, who defeated UCLA in strong showing in Pasadena last week. But the point spread was down to 10 1/2 in some books and 9 1/2 in others by Sunday afternoon. Then, on Monday, the spread was back up to 11 points, and by Wednesday it was up to 13 points.

On Thursday the consensus spread on Vegas Insider was holding steady at 13 points, although some places had it at 12 1/2 and other at 13 1/2.

Here’s how we see the four games, picking against the spread.

All picks against the spread

Consensus betting line from vegasinsider.com

Last week: Jake 2-3, Jeff 1-4

This season: Jake 26-18-1, Jeff 20-24-1

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FRIDAY

STANFORD (plus-13) at ARIZONA STATE, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Jake: Arizona State was impressive against UCLA, but the Cardinal has wins over Oregon and USC the latter on the road, and is not likely to lose by two touchdowns with Tanner McKee at quarterback. Pick: Stanford

Jeff: This will be a tough assignment for Tanner McKee, but the Cardinal ought to be able to cover this spread. Pick: Stanford

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SATURDAY

OREGON STATE (minus-3.5) at WASHINGTON STATE, 1 p.m., Pac-12

Jake: WSU seems to be getting better, especially in defending the run, which is Oregon State’s strength. But the Beavers are on a roll. Pick: Oregon State

Jeff: I’m become a Beaver Believer. Pick: Oregon State

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UTAH (plus-3) at USC, 5 p.m., FOX

Jake: Kedon Slovis is likely to be the Trojans’ quarterback for at least one more week. Utah has the advantage of coming off a bye, but the Utes don’t score enough points. Pick: USC

Jeff: This one is tough, but USC is 9-0 all-time vs. the Utes at the L.A. Coliseum. Pick: USC

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UCLA (minus-16) at ARIZONA, 7:30 p.m., ESPN

Jake: Defensively, Arizona is not that bad, but the question is whether it can score enough points to cover. I think they will score just enough in a night game at Tucson with Jordan McCloud at quarterback. Pick: Arizona

Jeff: Arizona has not scored more than 19 points in a game this season. I did the math and I’m pretty sure the Bruins can put up 35 in this one. Pick: UCLA

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Cover photo of Jayden Daniels by Kirby Lee, USA TODAY Sports

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Follow Jake Curtis of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jakecurtis53

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