Bovada Gives USC Football 2nd-Best Odds to Win Pac-12 South

USC football has the second-best odds to win the Pac-12 South and the fifth-best odds to win the conference, according to Bovada.

The Bovada sportsbook released the newest odds for conference champions across the country Wednesday, giving USC football 7/4 odds to win the Pac-12 South and 11/2 odds to win the Pac-12 championship.

Those odds to win the South are just behind UCLA’s 7/5 odds to win division. Utah’s odds stand at 5/1 which the remainder of the South trails far behind that with ASU pulling 13/2 odds, Arizona at 15/2 and Colorado at 20/1.

For all the marbles in the Pac-12, Stanford boasts the best odds at 3/1 while UCLA’s 7/2 odds are second-best. Washington checks in just behind at 4/1 with Oregon matching USC’s 11/2 odds.

With 12/1 and 14/1 odds respectively Utah and Washington State stand as dark horse challengers for the conference title.

Going down the line the odds get longer with Arizona and Arizona State at 20/1, Cal at 22/1 and both Colorado and Oregon State at 50/1

SEE ALSO: Alabama is heavy favorite over USC for season opener

Projections like this from oddsmakers take a variety of factors into account. The strength of the North division explains Stanford, who has won the conference three of the last four years, and Washington’s strong odds.

David Shaw’s Cardinal have lost some key figures but return Heisman favorite Christian McCaffrey and have proven their year-to-year rebuilding ability. Chris Petersen’s Washington, on the other hand, has received a great deal of hype as a youthful team ready to take the next step up.

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The Bruins’ strong prospects are heavily tied to a favorable schedule which might give them a boost towards winning the South, especially in light of the Trojans’ exceptionally difficult slate. Though most experts see USC and UCLA as evenly matched in the division, the schedule has been cited as a tiebreaker between the two.

USC will hope to repeat last year’s success in the South, without the drama of firing a coach midseason. Stability and a renewed focus on fundamentals could see the Trojans’ talent deliver more consistently.

Of course, it’s widely agreed that they face the nation’s toughest schedule and they will have to prove their ability navigate that road before oddsmakers give them a greater chance to secure their first conference title since 2008.