Oregon vs. Utah Prediction, Pick, Odds: Will Bo Nix, Ducks Offense Lag Against Utes' Dominant Defense?
Oregon vs. Utah Prediction, Pick, Odds: Will Bo Nix, Ducks Offense Lag Against Utes' Dominant Defense?
The Oregon Ducks will take on the Utah Utes in a pivotal Week 9 Pac-12 matchup on Saturday.
Oregon took a loss a couple of weeks ago to Washington but responded with a 38-24 win against Washington State. The Ducks are now 6-1 on the season.
Meanwhile, the Utah Utes are also 6-1 on the season. Starting quarterback Cam Rising will no longer play for the Utes this season due to an ACL injury. He'll wait until next year. Therefore, the Utes have been rolling with Bryson Barnes at quarterback.
Barnes and Utah just escaped USC, 34-32, on the road, to push themselves to 6-1 on the season.
Oregon's offense is ridiculous, while Utah's defense has been fantastic. Who should we trust in this game?
Here are our picks, predictions, and odds for Saturday's Pac-12 matchup between the Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Utes.
Oregon vs. Utah Date, Start Time, and Where to Watch
- Date:Â October 28, 2023
- Game Time:Â 3:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch:Â FOX
Oregon vs. Utah Odds
- Spread: Oregon -5.5 (-110), Utah +5.5 (-110)
- Total Odds: Over 49 (-110), Under 49 (-110)
- Moneyline Odds: Oregon (-245), Utah (+200)
Oregon vs. Utah Injury Report
Oregon
Questionable: DB Khyree Jackson (Undisclosed)
Out: WR Josh Delgado (Undisclosed), RB Noah Whittingham (Foot)
Utah
Out: RB Micah Bernard (Undisclosed), RB Chris Curry (Undisclosed), DE Logan Fano (Knee), TE Brent Kuithe (Knee), WR Mycah Pittman (Undisclosed), QB Cameron Rising (Knee), QB Brandon Rose (Undisclosed), TE Thomas Yassmin (Undisclosed)
Oregon vs. Utah Prediction
It's fascinating how Utah is 6-1 on the season.
Kyle Whittingham has done an incredible job with this Utah program. Although he doesn't have his starting quarterback, he's been able to pick up wins against top-tier opponents.
Bryson Barnes used to work at Lowe's before he was on scholarship. Now Barnes just beat Caleb Williams and USC on the road.
It's sensational.
But realistically, the offense isn't built to stick around with top-tier offenses. Oregon is one of them.
The Ducks have earned 553 yards per game on offense this season, including 326.1 yards in the air and another 226.9 yards on the ground.
Over the last five games, Oregon has added at least 33 points in each game. They've also scored at least 38 points in four of their previous five games.
The Utes have held teams to 295.4 yards per game, which is really good. However, there are ways to beat Utah in the run game. Sometimes, teams get away from rushing the football late in the game, which helps Utah run defense numbers out.
Utah won't miss many tackles and have a very solid secondary. But Oregon's pass protection likely won't let Utah get to Bo Nix.
Nix has thrown 19 touchdowns and only one interception while earning 2089 yards in the air. He's been dominant, has some great receivers, and plenty of solid runners like Bucky Irving.
While Utah gets much credit defensively, Oregon should have the edge in this matchup. Meanwhile, Oregon's defense has only allowed 312.6 yards per game this season. They've held passers to 217.4 yards per game and have kept teams to 95.1 yards on the ground.
Utah's offense has earned 345 yards with only 161.7 yards in the air. Utah will struggle to keep up with Nix and Oregon's offense without a passing game, especially when they're trailing early.
Take Oregon -5.5.
Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Utes Pick
- PICK: Oregon -5.5 -110 is currently the best odds. Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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Article Author
Jason grew up an avid sports fan. His passion for sports writing grew in high school and he developed a blog that was strictly for New York Sports. From his work, you will quickly realize that he loves looking at games from an analytical and numbers perspective and hopes to provide you with that same perspective in his articles.