Pac-12 Football: Against-the-Spread Rankings Heading into Week 4

The Pac-12 Conference is getting plenty of media coverage due to ongoing rumors of potentially adding the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns.

Stanford and Oregon make the conference one of four that has at least two teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in the AP poll.

From a betting perspective, rankings are great, but how a team performs against the spread is the only thing that matters in Las Vegas.

Let's take a closer look at how all 12 teams have fared against lined competition.

No. 1 Stanford Cardinal

The Stanford Cardinal have suffered no drop off with the departure of former head coach Jim Harbaugh to the NFL, as the team has tallied a perfect 3-0 ATS record.

It's been an impressive run early, covering the spread by an average of 17 points a contest under new front man David Shaw, who previously served as the program's offensive coordinator.

Quarterback Andrew Luck is the Pac-12's best player and current favorite to win the Heisman Trophy.

Unfortunately for bettors, the team is on a bye week.

No. 2 USC Trojans

The USC Trojans slipped up in the first week against the spread, going into halftime with a 16-point lead over the Minnesota Gophers, only to be held scoreless in a 19-17 win as 24-point home favorites.

After two years of being incredibly overvalued in the market, USC is finally turned into a money-making product again.

The Trojans have covered two of three games during the 2011 campaign, which follows a two-year period of posting a combined 9-17 ATS mark.

Oddsmakers may still be undervaluing this once dominant program, placing them as three-point road underdogs against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

No. 3 Oregon Ducks

The Oregon Ducks are 1-1 ATS versus lined competition this year and picked up a 22.5-point spread victory against the Nevada Wolfpack in Week 2.

It was a nice bounce back performance after failing as three-point neutral-site favorites against the LSU Tigers inside Cowboys Stadium.

Don't get too carried away in backing this team, as the Ducks are likely to be overvalued the rest of the season due to their explosive offense.

No. 4 Washington Huskies

The Washington Huskies are a perfect 2-0 ATS versus lined opponents, covering the spread by an average of 3.25 points a contest.

It's likely that the team will continue to fly under the radar due to the departure of long-time quarterback Jake Locker to the NFL.

Head coach Steve Sarkisian is also doing a nice job for bettors in his first two-plus seasons on campus, posting a 16-11 ATS record over that span.

Don't miss out on another money-making opportunity this week, as the Huskies are 3-1 ATS when hosting the California Golden Bears.

No. 5 Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes left the Big 12 Conference to compete against the former Pac-10, while also hiring former player Jon Embree to change the culture in Boulder.

Bettors are starting to pay attention, as the program has covered the last two games by an average of 5.25 points, which followed an expected loss in Hawaii in the season opener.

With a 2-1 ATS mark through three games, the squad is well on its way to improving its 22-26 ATS mark the previous three campaigns.

A Week 4 road game against the Ohio State Buckeyes may be another money-making opportunity.

No. 6 Arizona State Sun Devils

The Arizona State Sun Devils land in the No. 6 spot despite being 0-2 ATS versus lined competition this year. 

Head coach Dennis Erickson has seen his team fail to cover the spread by just one and three points. 

Line movement has gotten the best of the squad in games versus Illinois and Missouri.

The betting market still holds this team in high regard, being sent out as three-point home favorites against the undefeated USC Trojans this weekend.

Backers will be happy to know that the Sun Devils are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

No. 7 Utah Utes

The Utah Utes would be much higher on this list if not for a scoring change against USC, but one of the newest additions to this conference will be overvalued coming out of their bye week due to a blowout win over BYU.

My suggestion is to continue playing this team as a road underdog the rest of the 2011 season.

No. 8 California Golden Bears

Absolutely nobody is talking about the California Golden Bears this season, but head coach Jeff Tedford has the team off to a perfect 3-0 straight-up record and 1-1 ATS mark.

Stanford has certainly made this the "other" Northern California team in the Pac-12 Conference.

Look for opportunities to fade this well-known underachiever on the road, while continually backing the program at home.

Next up, a road game in the Pacific Northwest.

You know what to do.

No. 9 Washington State Cougars

The doormat of the old Pac-10 failed at an opportunity to be higher on this list, with a spread loss against San Diego State in Week 3.

Washington State is 1-1 ATS on the year and will likely offer value during conference play, which starts in Boulder after a bye week.

A definitely play if sent out as double-digit underdogs against the Colorado Buffaloes.

No. 10 Arizona Wildcats

The Arizona Wildcats have been atrocious in failing to cover both of their games against lined competition, but luckily for them, the two teams below have been even worse.

Professional handicappers had this team as a play-against squad from the very beginning, as the program lost the entire offensive line from the previous season.

Sharp bettors are still fading this team against the Oregon Ducks this week, driving them up from 11.5 to 15-point home underdogs.

No. 11 UCLA Bruins

The UCLA Bruins have failed to cover the spread in all three games this year, including consecutive games at the Rose Bowl against San Jose State and Texas.

It wasn't suppose to be this way for head coach Rick Neuheisel, who is likely on his way out of Westwood at the end of the year.

A spread victory could be on the horizon this week, heading north to face the No. 12 team on this list.

No. 12 Oregon State Beavers

The Oregon State Beavers are definitely in the discussion nationally as the worst performing team against the spread nationally.

Public perception of this team couldn't be lower, dropping a contest versus an unlined opponent, followed by a 35-0 road loss against the Wisconsin Badgers.

Thank goodness for an early season bye week, but the Beavers are 0-4 ATS when hosting the UCLA Bruins.

Pass again.