No. 3 Oregon travels to No. 23 Utah for a prime-time Pac-12 showdown Saturday.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm. ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. The game will be televised on ABC.
Oregon (9-1) remains in the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings, and the Ducks can clinch a spot in the Pac-12 championship game with a victory against the Utes. Anthony Brown continues to be one of the more underrated dual-threat quarterbacks in the conference, and Kayvon Thibodeaux has another chance to flex on the big stage.
Utah (7-3) can take another step toward a Pac-12 South championship and play spoiler at the same time. Cameron Rising has settled in at quarterback, and the Utes are on a three-game winning streak.
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Coaches Mario Cristobal and Kyle Whittingham both have built their programs with an inside-out approach, and there is not much of a statistical difference. The Ducks are road underdogs, which adds to the intrigue. With that in mind, here is all you need to know about betting on the Oregon-Utah matchup:
Oregon vs. Utah odds
- Spread: Utah -2.5
- Over/under: 59.5
- Moneyline: Utah -158, Oregon +128
Three trends to know
— The Ducks are 2-0 S/U and ATS as an underdog this season, winning at Ohio State and UCLA. They are 3-5 S/U as a road underdog since Cristobal took over in 2017.
— Utah is 3-6 ATS as a favorite this season, but the Utes are 4-0 S/U at home this season with impressive conference victories against Arizona State and UCLA.
— Oregon is 6-2 S/U against Utah since the Utes joined the Pac-12. That includes a 2-1 S/U record at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Three things to watch
— Utes' rushing attack. Utah has hammered its last three opponents with an average of 243.7 yards per game. Tavion Thomas continues to be the feature back with 742 yards and 14 TDs, but TJ Pledger (502 yards, 5 TDs) and Micah Bernard (428 yards, 2 TDs) have contributed. That's allowed Rising to be efficient in the passing game, and the offense has evolved from its early-season slump. Oregon has limited opponents to 3.4 yards per carry this season, and that's where they need to continue having success.
— Anthony Brown. The Ducks lost running back CJ Verdell for the season, but Travis Dye (908 yards, 12 TDs) has transitioned to lead back and Bryron Cardwell (320 yards, 3 TDs) averages 7.8 yards per carry in the No. 2 role. Brown has 551 rushing yards and eight TDs. He's been more active in the running game since the Verdell injury. The Utes allowed more than 200 rushing yards in each of their three losses. That is a good target number for the Ducks.
— Defensive playmakers. Thibodeaux leads the Ducks with six sacks and 10 tackles for loss, but Utah has been good on the offensive line. The Utes have allowed just 10 sacks this season. Utah also has an All-American candidate in Devin Lloyd, who has 20 tackles for loss, seven sacks and three interceptions. Will he steal the stage and come up with the big plays for Utah?
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Stat that matters
Oregon ranks fifth in the FBS with a 51.6% third-down conversion rate. That kind of success comes in handy on the road, and Utah allows a 36.1% conversion rate in the same situation. How will those numbers fluctuate in an all-in situation for the Utes? That is going to be a key development as the game wears on.
Oregon vs. Utah prediction
Oregon continues to have its playoff credentials questioned, and most of that stems from the overtime loss at Stanford. The Utes will test Oregon in the first half, especially with that relentless running game. But the Ducks' offense is being a touch undervalued here. Ten different Oregon players have caught a TD pass this season, and Brown's ability to spread the football will make a difference. Oregon makes it case with another impressive road victory. Don't worry. The rematch might come in a few weeks.
Final score: Oregon 31, Utah 24
