Pac-12 picks, Week 2
If you did something crazy like put money on my picks last week ... well, you broke even. Good for you.
But we never aim for average around here, so let’s hope for improvement on last week’s 4-4 against-the-spread mark.
As always, all lines come courtesy of VegasInsider.com, and our pick for the Washington game will come in a separate post on Friday. All lines are for entertainment purposes only, but if you want to use them to gamble, I am literally powerless to stop you.
Last week: 10-1 straight-up, 4-4 against the spread.
Season: 11-1 straight-up, 4-5 against the spread.
All games Saturday.
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Utah State at USC, 11 a.m., Pac-12 Networks (USC by 15.5) -- OK, so the Trojans didn’t cover the spread last week against Alabama. Come to think of it, they didn’t really cover much of anything. But Utah State’s 45-6 thumping of Weber State doesn’t quite have me convinced that the Aggies are going to take the Coliseum by storm. USC should feel (a little) better about itself after this one. The pick: USC 38, Utah State 17.
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Idaho State at Colorado, 2 p.m., Pac-12 Networks (no line) -- No reason to think this will be close. The pick: Colorado 63, Idaho State 10.
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BYU at Utah, 4:30 p.m., FOX (Utah by 3) -- If these teams’ Week 1 performances are any indication, this should be a low-scoring slugfest, which is exactly the kind of game the Utes have become accustomed to playing. Here’s a guess Utah’s overall talent wins out. The pick: Utah 21, BYU 17.
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UNLV at UCLA, 5 p.m., Pac-12 Networks (UCLA by 26) -- Will the disappointment from last week’s tough loss to Texas A&M linger with the Bruins? I mean, maybe, but they’re playing UNLV, sooo ... The pick: UCLA 49, UNLV 20.
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Texas Tech at Arizona State, 7 p.m., FOX Sports 1 (ASU by 2.5) -- I don’t know what to make of either of these teams. Anyone got a coin? The pick: Texas Tech 38, Arizona State 35.
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Washington State at Boise State, 7:15 p.m., ESPN2 (Boise State by 11) -- This feels like a pretty steep point spread, considering that nothing about WSU’s season-opening loss to Eastern Washington suggested that the Cougars will struggle to score points. And with safety Shalom Luani expected to return from suspension this week, maybe WSU’s pass defense -- abhorrent as it was against EWU and star receiver Cooper Kupp -- will get a boost. Also, isn’t this exactly the kind of game WSU will probably win? Double-digit underdogs on the road against a quality opponent, one week after a disappointing loss? This team seems to defy logic at every turn. So yes, I’m picking the Cougars to get it done on the blue turf. The pick: Washington State 42, Boise State 41.
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California at San Diego State, 7:30 p.m., CBS Sports (SDSU by 7) -- Here’s a guess the Golden Bears will follow their less-than-impressive victory over Hawaii with an even-less-than-less-than-impressive loss to the Aztecs. The pick: San Diego State 35, California 24.
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Virginia at Oregon, 7:30 p.m., ESPN (Oregon by 24.5) -- Virginia lost at home by 17 points to Richmond last week. Richmond is an FCS team. A very good FCS team, sure. But an FCS team regardless. Oregon is probably better. The pick: Oregon 52, Virginia 27.
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Grambling State at Arizona, 7:45 p.m., Pac-12 Networks (no line) -- How kind of the Pac-12 Networks to schedule this week’s least-watchable game in the least-desirable time slot. The pick: Arizona 70, Grambling State 3.
This story was originally published September 8, 2016 at 3:05 PM with the headline "Pac-12 picks, Week 2."