Washington and Oregon Are the Current Pac-12 Title Favorites
Undefeated Washington and a One-Loss Oregon Team Eyeing Spots in College Football Playoff field
The Pac-12 swan song is shaping up with a pair of teams with their sights set on securing a spot in the College Football Playoffs. The 2023 Pac-12 football championship odds have Washington and Oregon leading the way.
In the first 12 Pac-12 championship games, either Oregon or Washington has been in the game seven times. However, they have never met in the conference title contest.
With three games left in the regular NCAAF season, it looks like that is about to change. Washington is in sole possession of first place in the Pac-12 standings, with Oregon a game back. Arizona, Oregon State, Southern California, and two-time defending champion Utah all have two losses in Pac-12 play.
Regarding the latest college football betting lines, Oregon is sixth and Washington seventh in the odds to win the national title.
Washington is fifth and Oregon sixth in both national polls. That is where they stood in the first College Football Playoff rankings, followed by No. 16 Oregon State, No. 18 Utah, No. 19 UCLA and No. 20 Southern California.
No Pac-12 team has appeared in the College Football Playoffs since the 2016 Washington squad fell to Alabama in the national semifinals.
Here’s a look at the top contenders in the Pac-12 as the conference teams prepare to head for greener pastures when the season is over.
Oregon Ducks (+100 to win the Pac-12 title game)
Although Oregon lost to Washington, the Ducks have the best 2023 Pac-12 football championship odds.
The fact that the Ducks have one of their final three games against a 2-7 Arizona State team might have something to do with that.
Saturday’s game against USC will not be a walk in the park. The Trojans have fallen out of the national title picture, but a win would have them in the running to make it back-to-back Pac-12 title game appearances.
Washington Huskies (+150 to win the Pac-12 title game)
Washington was just 13th in the odds to win the national title coming into the season. In the 2023 Pac-12 football championship odds, Washington was tied with Oregon for second at +320 in the Pac-12 title coming into the season.
Washington already owns a win over Oregon and has also beaten Arizona and USC.
The Huskies have a challenging end to the regular season, facing Utah, Oregon State and rival Washington State.
Southern California Trojans (+900 to win the Pac-12 title game)
USC games are not boring, as at least 60 combined points have been scored in each game this season.
In the two conference losses, USC has averaged 37 points but has been let down by a porous defense. USC just fired defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
Quarterback Caleb Williams will not repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner but is the front-runner to be the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Those taking part in NCAA football betting love taking the over in USC games as the Trojans are tied with LSU for the national lead with nine games going over the total so far this NCAAF season.
Oregon State (+1000 to win the Pac-12 title game)
The Beavers have the same odds to win the conference title game as they did when the season began.
The arrival of former Clemson quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei raised the expectation level for an Oregon State that has never played in the Pac-12 championship game. A 4-0 home record has helped as well.
With games remaining against Washington and Oregon, the Beavers can play their way into the Pac-12 title game.
Utah Utes (+2000 to win the Pac-12 title game)
Utah has certainly missed injured quarterback Cameron Rising, as Utah is last in the Pac-12 in passing yards per game and only ahead of Stanford, California and Arizona State in passing efficiency.
Coming into the season with +600 odds to win the Pac-12 title, Utah faces a must-win game this week against Washington to remain in contention.
Arizona Wildcats (+6000 to win the Pac-12 title game)
Arizona is the biggest surprise among the title contenders as Arizona was tied for ninth at +8000 in the conference championship odds when the season began.
With games against 4-5 Colorado and 2-7 Arizona State along with a home date with Utah, the Wildcats have the easiest of the remaining college football schedules. They are also the team most reliant on outside help to secure a spot in the Pac-12 title game for the first time since 2014 since they have already lost to USC and don’t play Washington.
When looking at the scores and odds, Arizona is tied with UNLV for the best mark (8-1) against the college football betting lines among Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
UCLA Bruins (+6000 to win the Pac-12 title game)
There hasn’t been much chatter about the Bruins since a mid-October loss at Oregon State. The last time out, UCLA fell on the road to Arizona.
UCLA has played in the first two Pac-12 championship games but hasn’t returned since 2012. It does not look great for the Bruins to change that.
A Look At the Heisman Odds
Williams was the favorite to win the Heisman during the first half of the season. Now, the top two candidates are Williams’ Pac-12 rivals.
Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. leads the way with +150 odds of winning the Heisman Trophy. Penix tops the national with 3201 passing yards. He ranks in the top 10 nationally with 26 touchdown passes and a quarterback rating of 174.6. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is priced at +200 to win the Heisman. He is completing 78% of his passes for 2723 yards to go with 25 touchdowns and just two interceptions.
Williams is now at +8000 in the odds of winning the Heisman.
For more college football news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
