1.) Stanford at WSU(+1.5) - Opened as pick'em but now Stanford is 1.5 points favorite. Bettors are taking note of the Jekyll and Hyde behavior of Stanford. Look great 1 week, lay a turd the next week. The issue is the run game. They can go from running the ball great 1 week, to not running at all and putting the entire offense on McKee's back the next. McKee can sling it, but Stanford won't be better than a .500 team without a run game. Defense takes weeks off too. They were down last week, so maybe they bounce back this week. Teams are getting very hard to pick at this juncture as consistency is missing from almost every team in the league. Just about any non CU/UA game can be a pick'em on any Saturday. WSU looked good against OSU. They are learning how to defend and it's doing wonders for them. DeLaura, when he protects the ball, can be a really solid QB. WSU run game comes and goes as neither Borghi nor McIntosh are threats from one week to the next. Still, WSU now has 2 wins in a row and sits at 3-3. One of the best match ups of the week. If Stanford is on and can run the ball, this is a win for the Cardinal. If they can't run the ball, expect WSU to throw it well enough to eek out a win. Could be a high scoring one if the weather holds up. 70 degrees is the forecast. Sonny until sundown for the 5:30 PM game. Going with Stanford by a hair in a high scoring affair.
Stanford - 38
WSU - 35
2.) #18 ASU at Utah (+1) - Opened as ASU -2. Remember when Utah was 1-2 with 2 losses to G5 teams? Yeah, me too. Insert new QB, Cameron Rising, and add big wins. Undefeated in Pac 12 play, this is an early game for the division crown. Utah drew the high card with the game at home. They always seem to luck out in these situations. Like WSU, Utah is playing really well right now. Like, REALLY well. Won at USC for the first time. Rising, who can run a little bit too, threw it all over the field for his first 300+ yard game and 3 TDs. Threw it to all sorts of WRs but Covey is still the damage doer. Utah D is still a 'bit' suspect, but they are playing as well as they have been all year. The 1 thing USC didn't threaten was the run game. ASU has been running Daniels all year and he is scorching teams. He's also throwing it well enough to keep defenses very honest. Not a complicated pass scheme, but one that gets it done. He plays quickly and always gets them in the right play (ah, something our QB needs to study). ASU likes to run the ball with multiple weapons at RB. Well versed team with lots of offensive options. Defensively, ASU is the best in the division if not the league. Hard, hard, hard, to bet against ASU but Utah with Rising playing out of its mind makes it interesting. ASU will not have the friendly confines of 100 degree weather to wilt opponents at home or a hot road trip to LA. Game time temp will be about 50 and slowly drop to upper 30's by game's end. The equalizer. Picking Utah to keep the momentum on in a 'slight' upset and a defensive battle.
ASU - 23
Utah - 24
3.) UCLA at UW (-1.5) - Opened as UCLA -2. I'm totally missing this one. OK, so UCLA wasn't all that great on the road against hapless Arizona. Their defense, once again, has holes in it that teams who throw the ball can exploit. DTR can look like a more mature version of Lewis at times where he is indecisive in the pocket. He is worth +6 points on the gamblers boards no doubt as he is as whacky a QB as anybody not named Chase Garbers. Still, this is UW! UW has 2 wins... against Arkansas State and, yes, Cal (on their Hyde week). I know UW has talent and they've had 2 weeks to prepare for a UCLA team that is showing cracks. Still, UCLA does enough good things that they should win this. Their playmakers on O, Dulcic and Philips, in the passing game need to show out. If that happens, it's a walk away win for UCLA. If not, this one's going down to the wire. I'm guessing the 2 weeks to heal and prepare does UW good and they play some of their best football. I don't see it being enough and UCLA pushes towards bowl eligibility and stays in the division race.
UCLA - 34
UW - 24
4.) Cal at #9 Oregon (-13.5) - So this is a funny line. You have to look inside the numbers to see why Oregon is only a 13.5 favorite over 1 win Cal team at home. First, the last time Cal played, they were Hyde losing 21-6 to OSU. So, with 2 weeks to prepare for Oregon, it's time for a supreme Jekyll to come out right?? Oregon also got 2 weeks off though (league wouldn't screw Oregon like that). Oregon, the last time they played, lost to Stanford. So, Oregon's confidence is going to be low and Cal is going to be its best Jekyll and play lights out; therefore, 2 TD line. Otherwise, this would be a 30+ point blowout. I think Vegas got this one right. Oregon will win, but the first 3 quarters will be tough. Cal's defense will wake up, their offense will play unusually well, and Oregon just isn't that great offensively. Still, the 4th quarter will be kind to Oregon and they will roll Cal in the 4th.
Cal - 21
Oregon - 38
5.) Arizona at Colorado (-6) - Really? This game? Ugghhh! I can hardly watch this one. Arizona has used 4 QBs on the year and will start Gunner Cruz again. He's their best passer if you want to say something nice about him. He's also a statue in there. He did throw for 350 yards against BYU on the road, so he is at least a 'competent' passer which is not something CU's QBs can say. That almost alone makes Zona a favorite. Was more comfortable with McCloud starting knowing freshman mistakes would be made. Cruz was a Leach QB who played some in the run-n-shoot a year ago. Outside of that, UA isn't much offensively. Wiley has been bad all year. Anderson a little better but nothing to scream at. Brightwell graduated to the NFL a year ago so the running game has suffered. They still have Berryhill and Curry at WR. Neither scares me too much. Really for CU, it's about getting to the dang QB. He's a statuesque passing QB who if he has time will carve you up. Most teams don't give him enough time to look good after the BYU showing. If CU gives him all day, he's going to use it and look like the next Heisman QB we like to produce for the opposition. From CU's side, it's pretty simple offensively. RUN. THE. BALL. Run it early and run it often. Yes, run it against their 9 man front. Yes, they will put 9 in the box after running for 400 yards last year. They aren't going to go down that easy again. Zona catches a break with great Boulder weather. Will be one of the nicest games of the year weather wise. Should be enjoyable if we can just run the ball, keep their offense off the field, and score a few touchdowns (something we haven't done all year). I expect poor execution across the board on both sides. Whoever plays QB just needs to win a game for once. Make a play down the stretch in the 2nd half. This game, to me, is the ultimate pick'em of all the pick'em games this week. UA has the advantage offensively. We have the advantage defensively (kind of). Special teams are a wash. Just comes down to making plays late in the game and, of course, turnovers. Don't see how we win with our QB situation, but with 2 weeks to get something right, something will give in that department.
Arizona - 17
CU - 20
Stanford - 38
WSU - 35
2.) #18 ASU at Utah (+1) - Opened as ASU -2. Remember when Utah was 1-2 with 2 losses to G5 teams? Yeah, me too. Insert new QB, Cameron Rising, and add big wins. Undefeated in Pac 12 play, this is an early game for the division crown. Utah drew the high card with the game at home. They always seem to luck out in these situations. Like WSU, Utah is playing really well right now. Like, REALLY well. Won at USC for the first time. Rising, who can run a little bit too, threw it all over the field for his first 300+ yard game and 3 TDs. Threw it to all sorts of WRs but Covey is still the damage doer. Utah D is still a 'bit' suspect, but they are playing as well as they have been all year. The 1 thing USC didn't threaten was the run game. ASU has been running Daniels all year and he is scorching teams. He's also throwing it well enough to keep defenses very honest. Not a complicated pass scheme, but one that gets it done. He plays quickly and always gets them in the right play (ah, something our QB needs to study). ASU likes to run the ball with multiple weapons at RB. Well versed team with lots of offensive options. Defensively, ASU is the best in the division if not the league. Hard, hard, hard, to bet against ASU but Utah with Rising playing out of its mind makes it interesting. ASU will not have the friendly confines of 100 degree weather to wilt opponents at home or a hot road trip to LA. Game time temp will be about 50 and slowly drop to upper 30's by game's end. The equalizer. Picking Utah to keep the momentum on in a 'slight' upset and a defensive battle.
ASU - 23
Utah - 24
3.) UCLA at UW (-1.5) - Opened as UCLA -2. I'm totally missing this one. OK, so UCLA wasn't all that great on the road against hapless Arizona. Their defense, once again, has holes in it that teams who throw the ball can exploit. DTR can look like a more mature version of Lewis at times where he is indecisive in the pocket. He is worth +6 points on the gamblers boards no doubt as he is as whacky a QB as anybody not named Chase Garbers. Still, this is UW! UW has 2 wins... against Arkansas State and, yes, Cal (on their Hyde week). I know UW has talent and they've had 2 weeks to prepare for a UCLA team that is showing cracks. Still, UCLA does enough good things that they should win this. Their playmakers on O, Dulcic and Philips, in the passing game need to show out. If that happens, it's a walk away win for UCLA. If not, this one's going down to the wire. I'm guessing the 2 weeks to heal and prepare does UW good and they play some of their best football. I don't see it being enough and UCLA pushes towards bowl eligibility and stays in the division race.
UCLA - 34
UW - 24
4.) Cal at #9 Oregon (-13.5) - So this is a funny line. You have to look inside the numbers to see why Oregon is only a 13.5 favorite over 1 win Cal team at home. First, the last time Cal played, they were Hyde losing 21-6 to OSU. So, with 2 weeks to prepare for Oregon, it's time for a supreme Jekyll to come out right?? Oregon also got 2 weeks off though (league wouldn't screw Oregon like that). Oregon, the last time they played, lost to Stanford. So, Oregon's confidence is going to be low and Cal is going to be its best Jekyll and play lights out; therefore, 2 TD line. Otherwise, this would be a 30+ point blowout. I think Vegas got this one right. Oregon will win, but the first 3 quarters will be tough. Cal's defense will wake up, their offense will play unusually well, and Oregon just isn't that great offensively. Still, the 4th quarter will be kind to Oregon and they will roll Cal in the 4th.
Cal - 21
Oregon - 38
5.) Arizona at Colorado (-6) - Really? This game? Ugghhh! I can hardly watch this one. Arizona has used 4 QBs on the year and will start Gunner Cruz again. He's their best passer if you want to say something nice about him. He's also a statue in there. He did throw for 350 yards against BYU on the road, so he is at least a 'competent' passer which is not something CU's QBs can say. That almost alone makes Zona a favorite. Was more comfortable with McCloud starting knowing freshman mistakes would be made. Cruz was a Leach QB who played some in the run-n-shoot a year ago. Outside of that, UA isn't much offensively. Wiley has been bad all year. Anderson a little better but nothing to scream at. Brightwell graduated to the NFL a year ago so the running game has suffered. They still have Berryhill and Curry at WR. Neither scares me too much. Really for CU, it's about getting to the dang QB. He's a statuesque passing QB who if he has time will carve you up. Most teams don't give him enough time to look good after the BYU showing. If CU gives him all day, he's going to use it and look like the next Heisman QB we like to produce for the opposition. From CU's side, it's pretty simple offensively. RUN. THE. BALL. Run it early and run it often. Yes, run it against their 9 man front. Yes, they will put 9 in the box after running for 400 yards last year. They aren't going to go down that easy again. Zona catches a break with great Boulder weather. Will be one of the nicest games of the year weather wise. Should be enjoyable if we can just run the ball, keep their offense off the field, and score a few touchdowns (something we haven't done all year). I expect poor execution across the board on both sides. Whoever plays QB just needs to win a game for once. Make a play down the stretch in the 2nd half. This game, to me, is the ultimate pick'em of all the pick'em games this week. UA has the advantage offensively. We have the advantage defensively (kind of). Special teams are a wash. Just comes down to making plays late in the game and, of course, turnovers. Don't see how we win with our QB situation, but with 2 weeks to get something right, something will give in that department.
Arizona - 17
CU - 20
