Pac 12 Championship: #10 Oregon vs. #14 Utah Odds, Best Bets, Prediction

See our breakdown for the Pac 12 Championship between #10 Oregon and #14 Utah

Pac 12 Championship Preview

There are no College Football Playoff Implications but there will be a trip to the Rose Bowl on the line in Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game. The two-time defending champion Oregon Ducks are set to take on the Utah Utes at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. These two teams met just two weeks ago with Utah dominating at home in a 38-7 win. Naturally, the Utes are listed as three-point favorites in Friday’s rematch with the over/under set at 59.5 points.

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Utah Utes Preview

The Utes began the season thinking they had a chance to reach the CFP. But early-season losses to BYU and San Diego State quickly ended those hopes. However, the Utes have arguably been the best team in the Pac-12 during the regular season, going 8-1 in the conference. In fact, outside of a loss to Oregon State and a surprisingly close win over Arizona, all of Utah’s conference wins this season have come by double digits.

Utah’s rushing attack has been the biggest factor in the team’s success this year. The Utes rank 13th nationally in rushing yards behind a trio of running backs who all average over five yards per carry. However, quarterback Cameron Rising has also been a key for the Utes this year. Rising wasn’t the starter when Utah lost two games early in the season but he’s provided great stability at the position despite somewhat modest numbers. The Utes don’t have a great downfield passing game, although they have two tight ends that have been threats in the red zone. Rising has also limited himself to three interceptions and has only been sacked four times since taking over as the starter. As long as he can take care of the football, Utah’s offensive line and rushing attack can handle the heavy lifting.

Meanwhile, the Utah defense has had a strong campaign and has played its best late in the season. Outside of an off-day against Arizona, the Utes have held three of their last four opponents to 13 points or less. In fact, half of Utah’s opponents have scored 21 points or less, including Oregon two weeks ago. Aside from their loss to Oregon State, the Utes have done a good job of containing the running game this season. They’ve also applied plenty of pressure on opposing quarterbacks, averaging a little over three sacks per game.

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Oregon Ducks Preview

The Ducks can’t help but rue their missed opportunities this season. They had a clear path to the CFP after knocking off Ohio State on the road early in the season. But an upset loss to Stanford and the recent loss to Utah have taken Oregon out of the CFP conversation. On the bright side, Mario Cristobal’s team has a chance to gain immediate redemption against the Utes and claim their third consecutive Pac-12 championship.

If Oregon is going to win this game, the Ducks will have to run the ball better than they did two weeks ago. With help from three sacks by the Utah defense, Oregon managed just 63 rushing yards in that game, as the Utes were able to take away Oregon’s biggest strength offensively. Anthony Brown can be an effective quarterback, but only when the Ducks can establish the running game. He can be a suitable game manager and does well in play-action situations. But he’s not going to be able to put the Ducks on his back and carry the team with his arm against a quality defense.

Speaking of defense, the Ducks also need to be better on that side of the ball. They didn’t get a handle on the Utah running game two weeks ago, although that was an aberration compared to the rest of the season. That being said, the Ducks have only held four of their 12 opponents under 21 points this season, so they can bend at times. However, Oregon has done well to create takeaways this season, forcing 25 in 12 games. They also have one of the most talented defensive players in the country in Kayvon Thibodeaux, who can potentially change the game if he plays his best.

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Pac 12 Championship Game Prediction

After losing 38-7 two weeks ago, the Ducks need to be improved in a lot of areas if they’re going to turn around a 31-point loss. Oregon will surely benefit from playing on a neutral field as opposed to playing on the road. The Ducks are also bound to play better and avoid some of their mistakes from the first meeting. However, the Utes are better defensively and have a more balanced offense. That should be enough for Utah to win the rematch by a comfortable margin, even if this game isn’t a blowout like the first game.

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