This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
College Football Bets: 2023 College Football Win Totals Wagers for Pac-12
The weather is starting to heat up, and practices will kick off for schools in the month of July. And, technically, the college football regular season begins in Week Zero with games on Aug. 26, including San Jose State traveling to meet Pac-12 powerhouse USC.
For UCLA and USC, it is the final season of play as members of the Pac-12, although the Trojans do not figure to go quietly. USC is picked by most talking heads as the favorite to win the conference title as it heads out the door. UCLA is expected to be a little more mediocre, as it must replace QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson.
Not only will all eyes be on UCLA and USC in the final season for each in the league, but plenty of attention will be cast to Colorado, and its self-aggrandizing coach, Deion Sanders. It will be an interesting 2023, for sure.
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Arizona Wildcats Win Totals (4.5 at BetRivers)
The Wildcats are just one season removed from a one-win campaign back in 2021. However, head coach Jedd Fisch has almost immediately changed the culture, and he had Arizona positioned for bowl eligibility until a mid-November loss against Washington State put a nail in its postseason coffin. Instead of throwing in the towel at 4-7, however, Arizona posted a 38-35 win over rival Arizona State to endear itself to alumni and fans.
Arizona has a fairly easy non-conference slate, except for a trip to Mississippi State in early September. WR Jacob Cowing gets a crack at his former team, UTEP, in a mid-September "Pac-12 After Dark" contest, too.
Speaking of Cowing, he and Tetairoa McMillan are a couple of capable big-play threats for QB Jayden de Laura, helping the ease the loss of WR Jacob Singer, who transferred out to USC. De Laura also bulked up this offseason, adding 25 pounds to his frame, as he hopes the added weight makes him more physical and durable.
The Wildcats were a disaster on defense, and the final against rival Sparky was a microcosm of its season. The offense rolled up 38 points, but the defense allowed 35 points to Arizona State, and the Wildcats had to scratch and claw just to hang on. The D needs to be better, or this will be a losing ticket.
The schedule maker helps make up for the issues of the D, allowing newcomers to jell with returnees. Arizona should get off to at least a 3-1 start, barring disaster and/or injuries. Back-to-back games against Washington and at USC, as well as a trip to Washington State, might knock the 'Cats back some. It has two weeks to prepare for Oregon State, another potentially ranked foe. However, there is opportunity for at least three or four conference wins. The good news is Arizona misses Oregon in the cross-division schedule, but the bad news is it misses a potential toss-up game with Cal.
Depending on how bullish you are on the Wildcats, you could even play Over 5 at both Caesars (+110) and DraftKings (+100), or even Over 5.5 (+145) at BetMGM. I'll play it conservatively, going with at least five wins. Between two easy non-conference home games, and winnable league games against Arizona State, Colorado and Washington State, I can see Arizona equaling or slightly besting last season's win total.
Arizona Win Totals Best Bet
- OVER 4.5 WINS (-143 at BetRivers)
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California Golden Bears Win Totals (5.5 at FanDuel)
We're going to find out quite a bit about Cal from Sept. 23 through Nov. 4. The Golden Bears face road games against Utah and Washington, and home games against Arizona State, Oregon State and USC during the span. It could win one or no games during that murderer's row of games, with only the Sun Devils as a bit of a respite.
Unfortunately for the Bears, they miss the dog-and-pony show in Boulder, and a chance at a very winnable game against Colorado, as well as missing a so-so Arizona team in a cross-division game.
However, Cal has 10 starters back for 2023, and LB Jackson Sirmon is a tackling machine who is back to buoy a defense in desperate need of stability. The D also gets a big boost with DL Brett Johnson, who had an NFL future before hip and knee injuries derailed him in the past two seasons. If he can return to some semblance of his pre-injury form, it will be huge.
Former Texas State head coach Jake Spavital has been tasked with injecting excitement into the offseason. QB Sam Jackson V transfers in from TCU, and he is likely to be the new signal caller, although former NC State QB Ben Finley could also get a look. He has a couple of decent weapons in RB Jaydn Ott, as well as WR Jeremiah Hunter. With a shaky O-line, Jackson might be the better option, as he can move out of the pocket, and he has blazing speed to make things happen with his feet.
Cal was close last season, although it cobbled together just four wins. However, five of the team's eight losses were by a touchdown or less. However, the schedule is a lot more difficult, and a non-conference home game against Auburn does Cal no favors, either. Six wins and bowl eligiblity looks like a pipe dream, especially if the defense isn't vastly better.
California Win Totals Best Bet
- UNDER 5.5 WINS (-148 at FanDuel)
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Washington State Cougars Win Totals (6.0 at Caesars)
The Cougars racked up seven wins last season, and QB Cameron Ward stepped up and appears to be the next solid signal caller on The Palouse. Unfortunately for Ward, the team's top four receivers have departed, leaving the cupboard a little on the bare side.
All isn't lost, however, but it depends on how quickly he can jell with his new group of wideouts. WRs Leyton Smithson and Lincoln Victor have some experience in the program, and two Mountain West imports, WRs Josh Kelly (Fresno State) and Kyle Williams (UNLV), could be solid reinforcements. And in the backfield, in addition to Ward's escapability and playmaking, RBs Nakia Watson and Jaylen Jenkins give the Cougs a decent run game.
On defense, pass rushers Brennan Jackson and Ron Stone Jr. are back to pressure opposing quarterbacks, easing head coach Jake Dickert's mind. They also brought in LBs Ahmad McCullough (Maryland) and Devin Richardson (Texas) to bolster the linebacker corps. If the seconday can make strides, this should be a bowl team.
As far as the schedule is concerned, Wazzu misses both USC and Utah in the cross-divisional matchups, but it still must travel to Oregon and Washington, while also welcoming potential ranked teams Oregon State and Wisconsin early in the schedule. Still, if Washington State cashes the Over, it will be thanks in large part to the Centennial State of Colorado. It has three winnable games against Colorado, Colorado State and North Colorado on the schedule, as well as back-to-back games against Stanford and Cal in November.
Washington State Win Totals Best Bet
- OVER 6 WINS (-140 at Caesars)
