Sportsbook Pac 10 Gambling Preview | Betting Odds

[Qbins Missile Crisis]

NCAAF: USC dominant in the Pac-10 (Pacific 10 Conference)

USC is the favorite to win the national championship at 7:2, so it’s no surprise they’re massive 2:7 chalk in a down Pac-10.

Sportsbook.com is previewing all the major conferences with only the SEC remaining. Note that Odds-to-Win the Pac-10 are listed in parenthesis.



USC Trojans (2:7)

2007 Record: 11-2, 7-2 Pac-10
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 10.5

Coach Pete Carroll has built his own little dynasty in L.A. with six consecutive Pac-10 titles and two national championships. If there’s one problem with Carroll, it’s that he set the bar too high and fans are disappointed with anything less than another national title.

The Trojans have the talent to meet all their goals despite losing about half their offensive and defensive starters. There is a slight issue with quarterback Mark Sanchez’ recent knee injury, but he’s hoping to be back for the season opener at Virginia. Even if the offense struggles early on, the defense is potent enough to keep piling up wins.

Arizona State Sun Devils (3:1)

2007 Record: 10-3, 7-2 Pac-10

Arizona State tied USC by going 7-2 in the conference last year, but they were dismantled by USC at home, 44-24. Despite that defeat, it was still a good first year for Dennis Erickson, a former two-time national champion coach with Miami, as well as the head man for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.

Erickson will build his team around quarterback Rudy Carpenter for the second year in a row. He’s the best signal caller in the conference and they will put up more points if the offense jells quickly. The defense should also be improved and it’s that kind of balance that ranks ASU a solid second in the Pac-10.

Oregon Ducks (7:1)

2007 Record: 9-4, 5-4 Pac-10
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 8

While most of the national media tries to figure out how Oregon will survive without quarterback Dennis Dixon and running back Jonathan Stewart, nothing will faze longtime coach Mike Bellotti. Bellotti is an underrated coach who will manage to keep the offense respectable after last year’s #10 ranking in the nation.

Quarterback Nate Costa struggled in scrimmages, but is expected to open against Washington on August 30th. The running back situation will certainly have a drop-off after losing an NFL first-round pick in Stewart. The strength of the team is a defense returning seven starters including highly rated safety Patrick Chung.

UCLA Bruins (8:1)

2007 Record: 6-7, 5-4 Pac-10
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 6

UCLA has one of the more recognizable coaching staffs in the country with Rick Neuheisel as the head man and Norm Chow as the offensive coordinator. Neuheisel has a strong resume despite his gambling fiasco a few years back. Chow comes over from USC and most recently the Tennessee Titans.

On the field, quarterback Ben Olson is out at least seven more weeks after recent foot surgery. The Bruins already lost Patrick Cowan for the year with an ACL. A dire quarterback situation along with depth and talent issues on both sides of the ball makes these 8:1 conference odds seems very unlikely.

California Golden Bears (8:1)

2007 Record: 7-6, 3-6 Pac-10
2008 Over/Under in Wins: 8

California started off the year at 5-0 last season including a win over SEC stalwart Tennessee. That was the good news however as the Bears proceeded to drop six of their last seven games, all in the conference. California did rebound somewhat with an Armed Forces Bowl win over Air Force, but the bad taste still remains.

In order to get back on track, either senior Nate Longshore or sophomore Kevin Riley needs to take hold of the quarterback position. If the offense rebounds, the defense has enough talent to win its share of games. California is predicted to slightly better their 7-6 record from last year, but it’s certainly not a definite.

Pac-10 Field

Washington is a surprising 15:1 as most of the preseason rankings do not have them ranked high. Arizona (20:1) is going to put points on the board with their spread offense, but they’re not a serious contender with a ravaged defense.

Oregon State has some value at 30:1 although they need to replace nine starters on defense, including the entire front seven. Stanford is another 30:1 team as coach Jim Harbaugh puts his stamp on the squad with better things to come in the future.

Washington State is ranked last at only 40:1 as Coach Paul Wulff bring a new voice over from Eastern Washington.