A best bet for Friday’s Pac-12 title game between favored USC and Utah.
After an amazing regular season of action, college football championship weekend has arrived.
Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud was the betting favorite in the Heisman Trophy race for much of the season, with odds as low as +100 odds last month.
However, after the Buckeyes’ blowout loss to Michigan, a double-digit long shot is now the overwhelming prohibitive favorite.
USC’s Caleb Williams, who was tied with Alabama’s Bryce Young at +1400 odds three weeks ago, is now a -3000 favorite. Williams has guided the Trojans’ offense to an average of 44.8 points per game over the last six games.
The talented signal-caller will have a chance to firmly place his club in the College Football Playoff (CFP) when he leads USC against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
While Williams attempts to secure USC’s first-ever trip to the CFP, he will also be looking to exact revenge for his only loss in a USC uniform this season which took place at the hands of the Utes back in Week 8.
No.1 Georgia (-150), No. 2 Michigan (+275), No. 5 Ohio State (+850), No. 3 TCU (+900) and No. 4 USC (+900) are the title favorites at SI Sportsbook ahead of the championship games that will determine the four CFP entrants.
Respected money’s information has posted a 10-6-3 against the spread (ATS) record (62.5%) run over the last 19 plays. On championship weekend, my information from Vegas has an opportunity bettors should target.
USC vs. Utah Pac-12 Championship Game Odds
Spread: USC -2.5 (-110) | UTAH +2.5 (-110)
Moneyline: USC (-150) | UTAH (+115)
Total: 67– Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: USC 61% | UTAH 39%
Game Info: Dec. 2, 2022 | 8 p.m. ET | Fox
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.
USC Straight-Up Record: 11-1
USC Against The Spread Record: 8-4
Utah Straight-Up Record: 9-3
Utah Against The Spread Record: 7-5
The line has bounced around since opening with No. 4 USC as a 1.5-point favorite at SI Sportsbook in the Pac-12 Championship game against No. 11 Utah before settling on the Trojans assigned with a 2.5-point demand.
USC’s lone loss this season came against Utah in a 43-42 defeat at Rice-Eccles Stadium in which the Trojans covered as 3.5-point road underdogs. Utah quarterback Cameron Rising outshined the Heisman trophy favorite in Williams, throwing for 415 yards and two touchdowns, rushing for three scores and adding the go-ahead two-point conversion with only 48 seconds left in the game.
Since that season-defining win, Utah has won four of five games (3-2 ATS) and only lost to No. 16 Oregon, 20-17, two weeks ago in Eugene.
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
Williams has been sensational in 2022, accounting for 44 total touchdowns both in the air and on the ground while only tossing three interceptions in 407 pass attempts. William ranks seventh in the nation in passing yards (3,712) and has taken his game to the next level since following Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma.
USC is 2-2 SU and 3-1 ATS over the last four meetings in the Pac-12 rivalry and is 6-5 SU dating back to 2012.
Utah ranks 10th in the country in scoring, averaging 39.4 points per game, while USC ranks third by averaging 42.5 points per game.
Respected money in Vegas successfully backed the Trojans as 3.5-point underdogs in the first meeting this season and believes Riley will have his squad primed for a big effort with a College Football Playoff berth on the line. However, rather than laying the points on the side on a neutral field, the play here involves another high-scoring affair since the total opened at 66.5 and has since risen to 68.
The over is 6-2 over the last eight meetings in this rivalry.
BET: Over 67 (-110)
2022 SI Betting NCAA Football: 13-14-3 ATS
2021 SI Betting NCAA Football: 14-12 ATS
2020 SI Betting NCAA Football: 32-21 ATS
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
Get fantasy and betting analysis in your inbox by signing up for the Winners Club newsletter
Check the Latest Odds from SI Sportsbook
More Betting, Fantasy and College Football:
• NFL Week 13 Odds, Matchups
• U.S.-Netherlands Odds
• Chiefs Pass Bills as Super Bowl Favorites
• Week 13 Start ’Em, Sit ’Em: RB
• Hugh Freeze’s Red Flags