Ted Miller, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Las Vegas takes measure of Pac-12

As noted by Kyle Bonagura on Friday, the Golden Nugget in Las Vegas has released itsĀ initial list of individual college football betting lines, and that is interesting for several reasons, even only for entertainment purposes.

Vegas odds give you a disinterested idea of how odds makers view each game, or at least how they expect bettors to view each game. With that, it appears bettors will expect the Pac-12 will have a tough run in most of its major nonconference tilts.

Arizona State is a 3-point underdog to Texas A&M in Houston, the only Pac-12-SEC matchup this season. Oregon is getting a point for its visit to Michigan State a year after whipping the Spartans by 19 points. And Chris Petersen is expected to have an unhappy homecoming to Boise State, as Washington is a 13-point dog on the blue turf.

USC is a pick 'em at Notre Dame, while Utah is only a 4-point favorite over Michigan for Jim Harbaugh's debut.

One of the more notable revelations from the initial odds: Vegas thinks more highly of Stanford than the preseason rankings might, particularly when the Cardinal is at home.

Stanford is a 7.5-point favorite at home against Arizona, a 4.5 favorite against UCLA at home, a 3-point favorite against Notre Dame at home and a pick 'em with Oregon at home.

Hmm.

Many believe USC is set to unseat Oregon as the Pac-12 champions, but the Trojans are a 6.5-point underdog at Oregon. The Trojans are favored by three at home against UCLA, which has won three in a row in the rivalry series, and by four at home against Stanford.

The most notable road favorites? Oregon is a 5-point pick at Arizona State and UCLA is giving a point at Utah.

In other rivalry games, Arizona is a 3-point underdog at Arizona State, Stanford is a 13-point pick over California, Utah is giving 13.5 against Colorado, Oregon is favored by 15 over Washington and 22.5 over Oregon State, while Washington is giving 4.5 points to Washington State in the Apple Cup.

^ Back to Top ^