Pac-12 Football odds and picks: The Gamble-Tron, Week Seven

Welcome back. While our beloved Washington State Cougars are taking the weekend off, we here at Team Gamble-Tron are hard at work, flipping coins and asking our kids who to pick tirelessly grinding, and turning over every rock in search of winning angles. Maybe if we hadn’t sucked so much sewer water last weekend, we’d take a pass on this weekend, too. Didn’t exactly work out that way. It never does.

It almost feels like we’re chasing our tail. Jumping on a bandwagon a week too late, jumping off a bandwagon a week too early. Not being smart enough to see the obvious trends (hellooooooo UConn!) etc. etc. Normally, we suck at picking conference games, but somehow make up for it elsewhere. Feels like this year has been the opposite. Either way, we really need a solid week. But first...

Why I’m a genius: That WSU pick wasn’t looking too promising for about 90% of the game. All’s well and whatnot. Finally got on the right side of Washington. More than three touchdowns just seemed like a lot when facing not BYU. Arizona kinda proved why I shouldn’t have picked them, and rewarded me for picking them, all in the same game!

Without looking, I bet there are few teams who have provided more cash to gamblers than UCF over the past season-and-a-half. Too bad I’m always late to the party. While we know there are no sure things in sports, except for the Apple Cup result, Tom Herman keeps churning out covers and outright wins as the underdog. Truly incredible.

Why I’m an idiot: Rode the “Under” wave right into a coral reef. Always great when a team scores in the 59th minute to exceed the total. Or not. Pretty sure I lost the Utah-Stanford Under in the first 90 seconds. Like 2016, I keep fading Colorado. Like 2016, I’ll probably keep losing. Speaking of Stanford, let’s go live to their performances following the Oregon miracle.

Same goes for BYU. In a span of six days, they went from Top 25 to “how on earth did these guys beat Wisconsin? They’re awful.”

West by god Virginia, you couldn’t put Kansas away? Hey Will Grier, bonafide Heisman contenders don’t throw three picks in the red zone. You can probably do the math, even though you go to West Virginia. Remember the crab pot analogy when it came to the Miami pick? Yeah. But at least I didn’t make it worse by making it my biggest bet of the week. Oh, wait.

Last Week: 5-7 / -$500

Season Total: 48-43-2

Cash Balance: $8,340

Reader Results:

• BothwaysUphill: 4-6 / -$260
• stewak: 2-4 / -$230
• cougman the II: 6-6 / -$60
• MyHopesareAsinine: 3-6 / -$260
• .:R: 2-3 / -$130 (that’ll teach you to fade me! Kind of!)
• Keith_Clark_: 3-2 $80
• 425CougFan: 1-5 / -$450
• Hockeycoug: 1-8-1 / -$780
• ThaiCoug: 1-8 / -$1,220
• CougarCottage: 1-0 / $1,000
• sdcoug09: 6-7 / -$170
• cougbud: 1-0 / $237

Arizona (+13.5/-110) at Utah (-13.5/-110): Really really REALLY wish this line was 14. I want to believe that Utah turned a corner with that win at Stanford. Of course, nearly every year it feels like Utah has turned a corner, only to fall flat as the season wears on. God dammit, this game sucks. Never in my life did I think I’d lay nearly two touchdowns with Tyler Huntley. I...I just...I can’t do it!

The Pick: $110 on Arizona and $110 Under 52

Washington (-3.5/-110) at Oregon (+3.5/-110): Oh the hue and the cry from Husky fans. “Oregon got a week off, and we’re playing our second road game! Why isn’t the conference protecting us?! No fair!” Suck it up, wusses. If you are as good as you (always) say you are, UW will go to Eugene and take care of business. Not only is Oregon coming off a bye, I can guaran-damn-tee you that Mario Cristobal has been reminding them about what happened the last time Washington visited Autzen Stadium. I think Washington will win, barely.

The Pick: $110 on Oregon

UCLA (+7.5/-110) at Cal (-7.5/-110): UCLA showed enough life against Washington that they’re suddenly a trendy upset pick. Before I saw some “experts” call for the upset, I was going to take the same path. They’ve scared me off, but I’ll still take the Bruins to cover. This game, along with Arizona, presents UCLA’s best chance at a win this season, so I think they’ll be ready. Also, Cal doesn’t appear to be very good.

The Pick: $110 on UCLA

Colorado (+7/-110) at USC (-7/-110): Just dawned on me that I’ve taken three underdogs in the first three conference games. Well, we’re about to go 4/4. I am not at all impressed with USC, and I think Colorado has the weapons to keep this game close. Back in 2016, aka the year USC caught fire and won the Rose Bowl, they beat Colorado...barely. I think this year will be similar to that 21-17 final.

The Pick: $110 on Colorado

Louisville (+13.5/-110) at Boston College (-13.5/-110): Bobby Petrino’s fifth year, which means the talent recruited by the last coach is about gone, which means that things are headed south in a hurry. BC has really missed AJ Dillon lately, but whether he plays or not, the Eagles should handle the reeling Cardinals.

The Pick: $220 on BC

UCF (-4.5/-110) at Memphis (+4.5/-110): Gonna ride with the Knights until we’re jousted off the horse.

The Pick: $220 on UCF

Temple (-7/-110) at Navy (+7/-110): Navy isn’t often a home underdog, and they’ve tended to perform well in this spot.

The Pick: $110 on the Middies

Purdue (-10/-110) at Illinois (+10/-110): Purdue really needs this one. Really, really, really needs this one.

The Pick: $220 on the Boilers

I’ll probably throw out a few more picks on Twitter because I’ll never learn.