College Football Betting: Pac-12 South Team Win Totals

The next college football season will involve a fascinating race in the Pac-12 South. At least three teams can win the division championship, and a fourth team is a potential dark horse, though probably overrated by most experts heading into the summer. Let’s get a look at over-under win totals and where the more prominent Pac-12 South teams are likely to land this season.

Arizona State Sun Devils
Over-Under: 9 wins

The Sun Devils have not yet won nine games in a season under head coach Herman Edwards. The ceiling has been eight wins. Last season’s team obviously didn’t get to play 12 games. It played only four. However, in those four games, ASU went 2-2, which means that the Sun Devils – had they been able to play a full 12-game schedule – would have had a hard time reaching nine wins. The Sun Devils do have a lot of returning starters this year, including at quarterback (Jayden Daniels), and they have solid depth as well. Many experts think this is the year in which Arizona State will put all the pieces together, in which case ASU will go over the number, but the Sun Devils haven’t fulfilled their potential under Edwards, and it is a real question if the current coaching staff really should get the benefit of the doubt. The over is certainly a reasonable pick to make, but the under is more supported by recent history and results. Lean to the under in that case.

USC Trojans
Over-Under: 8.5 wins

The Trojans have plenty of talent. They recruit the pick of the crop from Los Angeles and surrounding areas. They get the four- and five-star players everyone else in the West wants. Only Oregon has higher recruiting rankings than USC. The Trojans have multiple players projected to be all-Pac-12 selections this coming season, such as pass rusher Drake Jackson and receiver Drake London. Quarterback Kedon Slovis is possibly the most gifted passer in the Pac-12. The Trojans have a relatively manageable schedule. They don’t have to play either Oregon or Washington in the Pac-12 North. They have so many things going for them… but the countervailing point is that they are coached by Clay Helton, who is a substandard head coach and a man who is on the hot seat this year. Here’s the thing: A 9-3 USC season would be a failure for Helton under the circumstances. USC fans are expecting at least 10 wins and mostly 11 wins. USC’s schedule will probably enable this team to win nine games. Take the over, even though the Trojans would be very disappointed with such a result.

Utah Utes
Over-Under: 8.5 wins

The Utes got a lot of help in the transfer portal this offseason. Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer almost led the Bears to the College Football Playoff in 2019. Utah should be thrilled with having Brewer in its starting lineup. The Utes got a number of other players in the transfer portal in recent weeks, including a few transfers within the Pac-12 Conference, such as two defensive players from the University of Washington. Utah didn’t look like a Pac-12 contender at all when the 2020 season ended, but all these transfer portal reinforcements have really changed the reality. The over is a good bet to make with this team.

UCLA Bruins
Over-Under: 7 wins

The Bruins showed some signs last year – with an authoritative win over Cal and competitive, close losses to Oregon and USC – that they could play on even terms with the best teams in the Pac-12. Maybe UCLA is ready to continue to improve this year. However, the Bruins have a brutal schedule: LSU out of conference, and Oregon, Washington, Utah, USC, and Arizona State within the Pac-12. If UCLA had USC’s softer schedule, the over would make sense… but not with this rough slate.