Pac-12 title odds: Bet UCLA, Utah in wide-open field
The Pac-12 could be a pure toss-up in 2021.
After covering both the SEC and Big 10 title odds and trying to figure out which teams can dethrone powerhouses Alabama (-200) and Ohio State (-250), it's time to explore a field rife with value.
Odds to win the Pac-12 in 2021
Team | Odds |
---|---|
Oregon | +200 |
USC | +250 |
Washington | +400 |
Arizona State | +500 |
UCLA | +800 |
Stanford | +1100 |
Utah | +1400 |
Washington State | +2000 |
California | +2200 |
Colorado | +3000 |
Oregon State | +3500 |
Arizona | +5000 |
Best bet
UCLA (+800)
If you like offense, head on over to the UCLA bandwagon. Bruins head coach Chip Kelly has sputtered in three years at the post, but his 2021 unit will his best yet - and it's not close.
UCLA returns 95% of its offensive production from last year, the best mark in the nation. Bill Connelly's preseason SP+ projections have the Bruins' offense at No. 7 in the country, ahead of programs such as Oregon, USC, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Miami.
UCLA faces a tough, early nonconference slate, but it does get Arizona State and Oregon at home.
Take the 8-1 flier in a wide-open conference.
Team to avoid
Arizona State (+500)
Arizona State has used an NFL style to win games over the past three seasons, but 2021 is the right time to fade the Sun Devils. They draw an offensive gauntlet loaded with four top-15 SP+ units: UCLA (No. 7), Washington State (No. 12), USC (No. 13), and Washington (No. 14).
Plus, this isn't a great number on a team the market's grown fond of.
Sleeper
Utah (+1400)
Utah clocks in at No. 19 in overall SP+ preseason projections - pretty solid for a +1400 'dog.
Utes head coach Kyle Whittingham has been a model of consistency. Though he hasn't brought home a Pac-12 title since 2008, he's won at least nine games in five of the last six full seasons.
There's plenty of talent coming back - 81% of the offense, 91% of the defense - for a program hosting three teams that are +800 or lower in the title race.
Utah is the best bang for your buck, and there isn't a close second.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.
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