2021 NCAA Football Betting – While the title may sound a bit dramatic, I think there is real momentum that would suggest that this could be the final season of the Pac-12, at least the one that we are used to seeing. I think that this is a huge year in Pac-12 football for a bunch of reasons, both in the conference and on the national stage.
Oregon is the only team in the conference with the potential to win a playoff game if everything hit just perfectly. West Coast talent has gotten used to leaving home in search of better programs, and that will be very apparent this season in particular.
The three most dominant programs in college football this year will all be breaking in new, second-year QBs. Guess what; they’re all from California. Ohio State could argue they’ve gotten the three best non-QB prospects from Washington in the last two years. Clemson has two other California receivers.
These elite programs cannot just pluck the best players in the area without the Pac-12 taking a hit because USC isn’t getting the best player from Alabama and Florida to counter. Oregon is the most talented team in this conference from raw talent and upside standpoint, which is because of Coach Cristobal prioritizing to recruit from other Pac-12 schools.
The Pac-12 cannot continue to lose this talent, and the way they stop this raid is to play well on the big screen in big games. Oregon heads to Ohio State, and Washington takes on Michigan in week two, and an 0-2 start for the Pac-12 in big games would be a big hit for their national image all season. In college football, we don’t get many data points out of conference play, and we tend to lean on early-season matchups to dictate the overall strength of conferences as the season moves along. NCAA Football Betting has never been as exciting as it is in 2021!
Oregon Over 9
The Ducks don’t have an easy schedule by any means, with a likely early loss on the schedule at Ohio State, but as I said in the intro, I think that this team is the most talented in the Pac-12, and they will find a way to not lose four games in the regular season. I do like the even number here for a chance at a push, simply because asking for ten wins means we can only really afford one slip up after Ohio State.
Oregon will have the best player on the field in every game but the second one, and even then, I think that Thibodeaux would be the 1st pick between Oregon and Ohio State rosters if we drafted for a game played tomorrow.
Oregon has one of the most talented LB duos in the country with Noah Sewell and Justin Flowe, and I expect them to wreak havoc on most Pac-12 offenses with the help of future top 10 pick Kayvon Thibodeaux. The secondary at Oregon is suspect, and they have dealt with off-field issues recently, and this will likely rear its head throughout the season, but I don’t expect many QBs to feel safe back there for long enough to kill Oregon over and over in the passing game.
Offensively, we should see them grow throughout the season, and I do expect them to have a player or two jump up into an all Pac-12 level at the skill positions because of recruiting and the raw talent on the roster. Check out the BParlay.com News pages for more up to date Football news.
USC Under 8.5
I’ve hit on it a lot, but USC has really struggled to recruit with a dark cloud hanging over Clay Helton’s head for the last few years. They actually were able to pick it up in 2021; it will be too little, too late, in my opinion. The only hope for this USC team is that since California produces so many receivers and QBs, they still have talent at those positions.
Clay Helton’s teams in the last few years have been rated 4th, 5th, and 10th overall in terms of team talent rating via 247sports.com’s recruiting rankings coming out of high school. In 2019 USC had the 20th best-recruiting class, and in 2020, they were 65th overall. Helton struggled to win nine games with WAY more talent than what is currently on his roster, and the QB play and WR play has been fine in years past as well. I’m just going to bet on the talent dropoff and the poor coaching/development here.
Stanford Over 4
Stanford is a really interesting program that has popped up as at least a Pac-12 power at times, and I think that the talent on their roster is going a bit overlooked. Stanford posted top 25 recruiting classes in 2019 and 2020, and after a Covid-riddled year, I expect this overall talent to show up for them this year.
I would probably wait for this bet until I got confirmation of the starter, and I would prefer Tanner McKee to be the starter because he is younger and more talented than Jack West. That being said, West is an elite backup for a four-win team and would not be anywhere near the worst QB in the league if he plays to his potential.
Stanford’s schedule is the reason for the number, but I’m not super worried about it. I really don’t think that there is a game where they are outmatched outside of games against Oregon and Notre Dame, and even then, a solid offensive line and top 100 QB can give you enough juice to contend with teams like that on a good night. Stanford has no “locks” on the schedule and has a non-conference slate of Kansas State, Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame. The first 2 are games that Stanford should be favored in, even on the road.
Arizona State Under 8.5
We don’t want to target Arizona State in certain games necessarily, but I do want to target the downfall of the program. There were stories that came out earlier this year that suggested that Arizona State’s staff committed massive recruiting violations during the dead period due to Covid-19, and I think that there is potential for this team to be blown up at any point in time. This could mean the coaching staff is canned; the team is banned from bowl play, and more. This could also lead to a lot of transfers and opt-outs at the end of the season.
I don’t love the team, but the schedule is favorable, and that is why the number is so high. No Oregon and USC at home are both desirable from a scheduling standpoint, and they should win their non-conference games with ease outside of BYU, who is replacing a ton of veteran talent and will be a significant underdog. That being said, the distractions and the coaching staff volatility has me on the under here. NCAA Football Betting options are pretty diverse, research is key.
Other Bets to Consider – NCAA Football Betting
- Oregon State Under 5
- Washington Over 9
- Colorado Under 4.5
- Conference Big Picture
Oregon is the favorite to win the conference at +260, and they would be my pick straight up. My favorite sleeper would definitely be Stanford with an unknown but talented QB and a team with historically good line play and more talent than most people expect. Stanford at +3000 is an interesting team to take a flier on.
UCLA is another one I thinkg will take the Pac-12 South Division at +600. Chip Kelly looked more comfortable at times last year, and he has to know that his time is running out if he doesn’t turn the program around. I am down on USC and Arizona State, which helps me take the flier on UCLA.
Nationally, the Pac-12 is seen as the worst conference on the top end, and that is reflected in the odds to win the national championship. Oregon is the highest at +3300, followed by USC and Arizona State. What is even more telling is that Oregon is only +650 to make the playoff while being +260 to win the Pac-12, meaning that the Pac-12 champion isn’t seen as anything close to a lock to make the playoff in its current condition.
Obviously, things like a Big Ten National TV sweep would change minds very quickly. The BParlay.com team hope you have enjoyed reading about NCAA Football Betting. Why not check out how to sign up to BetMGM a fantastic mobile app for betting in the US.
