Pac-12 Betting Preview 2022: Futures, odds, favorites to win conference, best regular season win totals

With the start of college football season approaching, it’s worthwhile to see how oddsmakers are handicapping the power conferences. Our next power conference preview focuses on the Pac-12. While these futures odds have been up for a few months, now’s a good time to look at the betting odds for not only the conference champion, but also some win total over/unders and early spreads.

The Utah Utes (+220) won the conference last season after starting 1-2, and despite returning a good deal of production, they currently hold the second-best odds to win the Pac-12 behind USC (+240). Can the Utes repeat as Pac-12 champs, or will another school get in their way?

If you’re interested in getting involved in the Pac-12 futures markets, Sporting News has you covered. Below, we’ll break down the top teams, a couple of sleepers, and a long shot who could win the Pac-12 championship.

MORE: Pac-12 Football Predictions | Big 12 Betting Preview

Full list of 2022 Pac-12 Championship odds

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Pac-12 Champion Betting Odds 2022: Favorites

USC Trojans +220 (implied probability 31.25 percent)

The future is beyond bright for the Trojans, as they replaced seven-year head coach Clay Helton with ex-Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley. USC looks to return to national relevancy on an annual basis now that it will be a major player in the recruiting and transfer portal worlds. The Trojans sit atop the Pac-12 odds board mainly due to what projects to be a prolific offense. With Riley making the move from Norman to L.A., he most notably brought his QB, Caleb Williams and WR Mario Williams with him to lead the unit.

USC’s offense will likely be the most dynamic attack in the conference, as Williams’ elite play-making ability forces defenses to remain on their heels. To make life tougher on secondaries, Riley also got 2021 Biletnikoff Award Winner, Jordan Addison (1,593 yards, 17 TDs), to transfer in from Pittsburgh. They also got ex-Oregon RB Travis Dye (1,271 yards, 16 TDs) via the transfer portal to lead the backfield.

While Williams is a legit Heisman hopeful with a big arm and underrated running ability, he still needs to show he can consistently move the ball against the better defenses. Williams struggled against Baylor and Oklahoma State last season, but fortunately  for the Trojans, they have a fairly easy schedule of defenses. The toughest defenses USC will face this season come in the back half of the year against Utah (Oct. 15) and Notre Dame (Nov. 26). Outside of those two games, USC’s not going to have a tough time consistently moving the ball. 

The defense is the bigger question mark with former Oklahoma DC Alex Grinch now running the show. While the Sooners defense took a slight step back last season, Grinch undoubtedly left the Sooners defense in a better place than he found it and looks to do the same with the Trojans. While it’s nowhere near its offense in terms of overall talent and ability, USC’s defense has the chance to surprise as the schedule of offenses isn’t too daunting. Sophomore defensive tackle Tuli Tuipulotu will be a key cog up the middle, and as long as the defense avoids a slew of injuries, it’s capable enough to lead the Trojans to a Pac-12 title.

Utah Utes +240 (implied probability 29.41 percent)

Utah should feel a bit slighted considering it’s not the odds-on favorite, but given the 20-cent difference between the Utes and Trojans, they’re essentially the co-favorites. The reigning Pac-12 champs enter the season with a lot of buzz thanks to eight returning starters on offense, headlined by QB Cameron Rising (2,493 yards, 20 TDs). Rising didn’t win the starting QB job out of the gates last season, but once he got the starting nod the Utes got rolling.

Rising’s being talked about as a sleeper Heisman candidate, but given the offense’s reliance on the ground game, it’s unlikely he puts up big enough passing numbers to get an invitation to New York. The Utes lead the nation in expected points added per rush last season, which makes it hard to see Rising put up monster passing numbers in 2022. Regardless, he’s a steady signal caller who avoids the big mistake and makes the right reads more times than not. His receiving corps mostly stays in tack despite the loss of Britain Covey, as the Utes return five of their top-six pass catchers from a season ago. Freshman WR Makai Cope (6-3, 199 pounds) is another WR to watch, as he has a real chance to see a respectable target share in his first full season. RB Tavion Thomas (1,130 yards, 21 TDs) returns as he was selected as a preseason first-team all-conference player by the media.

The defense has to replace a bit more than the offense but will still be a consistent unit under head coach Kyle Whittingham. The loss of Devin Lloyd (110 tackles, eight sacks in ’21) is tough to overcome, but the Utes defense remains one of the best units in the country. Utah (-2) opens the season against Florida in the Swamp, and given its physical style of play, it has a chance to take advantage of a fairly weak Florida front seven en route to a 1-0 start. Utah can parlay a Week 1 victory into a successful Pac-12 season that could potentially get it into the College Football Playoff consideration.

Pac-12 Champion Betting Odds 2022: Best sleepers

Washington Huskies +1400 (implied probability 6.67 percent)

Washington parted ways with Jimmy Lake after two seasons and now brings in former Fresno State head coach Kalen DeBoer to run the show. DeBoer brings over his former QB at Indiana, Michael Penix Jr., to run the offense. Penix Jr. struggled in his return from a right ACL injury in 2021, but now that he’s back with his former OC from his Indiana days, expect a much better season-long performance. 

The Huskies have a stable offensive line that will lead to a better offensive output this season, as they lose just one starter in center Luke Wattenberg. The defense more than likely takes a step back after losing its top-two coverage pieces, Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon, to the NFL.

Washington was one of the best teams in coverage last season, ranking sixth in passing efficiency. The defensive line took a beating in the trenches, as it ranked outside the top 100 in expected points added per rush. If they can show improvement in that area, the Huskies realistically could eclipse eight wins with a manageable schedule.

Pac-12 Champion Betting Odds 2022: Best long shot

California Golden Bears +6000 (implied probability 1.64 percent)

While the odds imply California has a 1.64-percent chance to actually win the Pac-12, there’s a real possibility Justin Wilcox and the Bears outperform this projection. Cal suffered numerous close losses last season, and while it didn’t return much starting production from 2021, they’ll likely show improvement in their win-loss record this season.

Cal brings in Ex-Purdue QB Jack Plummer to run the offense. Plummer can become an effective passer in the Pac-12 as his big arm will be needed in the Bears’ hopes of more explosive plays this season. They do only return two starters on the offensive line, as they’ll need to be effective on the outside if they don’t receive ample protection on a consistent basis.

Wilcox will have his defense ready to play despite losing six of their top eight tacklers. Cal’s disciplined in the trenches and has enough overall talent to get the Golden Bears back to a bowl game. An early-season test at Notre Dame will showcase this team’s true ceiling, but as long as they stay competitive with the Fighting Irish, this team projects to overperform relative to their current pricing in the betting market.

Pac-12 Football Betting Odds 2022: Best regular-season win total over/unders

Washington OVER 7.5 wins (-130)

With the Huskies likely to show improvement on the offensive side of the ball with DeBoer at the helm, Washington has a real shot to win eight-plus games. There’s a chance they start the season with a 4-0 record that includes a home win over Michigan State, and avoiding USC and Utah is another plus. 

Oregon State OVER 6.5 wins (+115)

Oregon State has one of the best offensive lines in the Pac-12, and with a manageable schedule, the Beavers can get to seven wins. They do have a QB competition ongoing, but all three QBs are capable enough to run the offense effectively. If the Beavers can take down Boise State in the season opener, they can finish the non-conference slate with a 3-0 record that gives them a fair shake to end the season 7-5 or better.

Pac-12 Football Early ATS Picks 2022 

Sept. 3rd: Utah -2 (-110) @ Florida

Utah’s ability to consistently out-physical Florida at the point of attack can lead the Utes to at least a three-point victory in Week 1. It’s pretty rare to see a Pac-12 school favored on the road in SEC country, but the betting market has correctly priced the favorite in this game. With the spread still sitting under a field goal, Utah is worth a look at the current spread.

Nov. 26th: USC -3 (-110) vs. Notre Dame

Notre Dame’s defense will likely be a step up in class for the Trojans, but given this game takes place in late November, Caleb Williams and the offense have lots of time to get the kinks out. We don’t trust Notre Dame QB Tyler Buchner to consistently move the ball on USC’s defense, and as a result, we like the Trojans to get a TD-plus home win over the Fighting Irish.