Arizona opens as huge underdog for Pac-12 opener at No. 3 Oregon

As if Saturday night’s performance wasn’t bad enough, the oddsmakers are expecting the Arizona Wildcats to fare even worse in their next game.

The UA has opened as a 27-point underdog for its Pac-12 opener next Saturday at third-ranked Oregon, according to VegasInsider.com.

That’s the largest spread Arizona has faced as an underdog since November 2019, when the Wildcats were 27.5-point dogs at Oregon in a game they lost 34-6. Since 2003 the UA is 2-4 when an underdog by at least 27, losing all six games but covering a 37.5-point spread at USC in 2005 and as 30-point dogs at Washington State in 2003.

Arizona (0-3) is coming off an embarrassing 21-19 home loss to NAU, its 15^th consecutive defeat and first to the Lumberjacks since 1932. Oregon (3-0) beat Stony Brook 48-7 on Saturday, a week after shocking Ohio State on the road.

The UA is 9-11 against the spread against the Ducks in their last 20 meetings, last covering on the road in 2014 when it upset Oregon en route to the Pac-12 South Division title.