Washington has been the team to beat in the Pac-12 for the last few years, but is this the year Oregon or another challenger takes their crown?
Washington could be in a state of rebuild after losing four-year starters Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin, but don’t tell Huskies fans that. Chris Petersen’s teams are used to talent leaving every year for the NFL or due to graduation. While Browning is out, former top quarterback recruit and Georgia transfer, Jacob Eason, is in and eligible this year after sitting out last year per NCAA transfer rules.
Expectations remain high for Washington, but the program with the biggest boost in preseason expectations is Mario Cristobal’s Oregon Ducks. Fresh off a top-five recruiting class and the return of Justin Herbert, the Ducks are hoping to win their first Pac-12 title since 2014.
Oregon and Washington are the betting favorites, according to FanDuel to win the Pac-12 and Utah is the favorite to escape the South ahead of Arizona and USC.
2019 Pac-12 championship odds
- Washington +260
- Oregon +260
- Utah +500
- Arizona +1000
- USC +1000
- Washington State +1000
- Arizona State +2300
- California +3000
- Stanford +3000
- UCLA +3000
- Colorado +12000
- Oregon State +21000
Best Bet: USC
Clay Helton is on the hot seat after a disappointing 2018, but the talent is there, including rising sophomore quarterback J.T. Daniels, who should be much better with a year of experience under his belt. He has plenty of talent around him to win the division and conference, but that’s always the case for the Trojans, and yet, they’ve only had one Pac-12 title in the last 10 years. Betting on the favorites won’t net a big return so ride USC and hope for the best.
Worst Bet: Arizona
No idea how Arizona is getting the same odds as USC and Washington State for that matter. Kevin Sumlin had no idea what was on his roster last year and turned Khalil Tate into a shell of the player he was in 2017. Tate may rebound in Year 2, but I have little faith in the coaching staff or the rest of the roster.
Favorite Long Shot: Stanford
Does Stanford have a loaded roster like they did from 2012-2015 when they won three of four Pac-12 titles? No. But there is talent there, including quarterback K.J. Costello who is one of the more underrated signal-callers in the country. Plus, David Shaw is one of the best coaches at maximizing the talent on his roster. At +3000 odds, this has a great chance to net a big windfall.
Championship Prediction: Oregon
If Herbert is healthy all season, the Oregon offense should be the best in the country. And it should be enough to outscore any other elite offenses if the defense has an off day. Utah is a sneaky play because they’re always good, but I just wonder if they can get to the next level. Therefore, riding with the Ducks.