PAC 12 Championship: Utah Utes vs Oregon Ducks Odds & Game Pick (2019 College Football)

Whether you’re new to sports betting or a betting pro, our Sports Betting Strategy and Advice page is for you. You can get started with our 101 section — including Common Sports Betting Terms â€” or head to more advanced strategy — like 10 Tips to Become a Sharper Sports Bettor â€” to learn more.

While they still need some assistance from teams who play on Saturday, the Pac-12 has it’s first real shot to sneak into the College Football Playoff (CFP) in years on Friday night when the No. 5 Utes take on the No. 13 Ducks in Santa Clara, California in the home of the 49ers. For the Ducks, the chance is out of reach following a Week 13 loss to Arizona State which led them to tumble out of contention. For the Utes, however, their only blemish is a Week 4 loss on the road to Southern California, and a win here combined with a Georgia loss could very well punch their first-ever CFP ticket. Let’s take a deeper look at this Pac-12 showdown and see where we can find an edge in this standalone Friday night matchup.

Sign up now at PointsBet and a $100 bonus when you bet $50 >>

Friday, December 6th, 2019 – 8:00 pm EST
Oregon +6.5, O/U 47.5 (via PointsBet)

For the second straight season, 15th-year head coach Kyle Whittingham has his boys playing in the Pac-12 title game, this year with a much better team. After the aforementioned Week 4 loss against the Trojans, Utah rattled off eight straight wins (and covers), with their closest game coming on the road at Washington (33-28) as three-point favorites. In their three games since, they’ve finished with an average result of 43-8 and have not only been beating teams but blowing them off the field. Other than the blip in Los Angeles, this Utah team has been one of the most sound in the country from the start of the season. Their offense ranks in the top 25 in nearly all statistical categories, including 18th in points per game (35.6), ninth in yards per play (6.91), and 25th in yards per game (453.6). While the offense has been humming, lead by the senior quarterback/running back combo of Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss, the Utes’ defense has been the backbone of this team once again. Through 12 regular-season games, Utah ranks third in the FBS in points allowed per game (11.2), fourth in yards allowed per play (4.20), and first in rushing yards per game, allowing an eye-popping 56.4.

With the second-closest team in the Pac-12 North finishing with a record of 4-5 and a full four games back from the Ducks, Oregon has coasted into this game with little to no resistance. For quarterback Justin Herbert, his decision to return for his senior season was questioned from the start and even more so now, even though he has improved across the board in yards per attempt (8.5), touchdowns (31) and interceptions (5). For the Ducks this season it was CFP or bust, and after a Week 1 loss to Auburn, the opportunity was still in play as they entered the final two games of the season. As often happens in the college game, however, the Ducks eyes were seemingly looking ahead to this one, as they dropped a critical game on the road in Tempe to the Sun Devils. Herbert, who’s still an expected first-round pick come April, had one of his worst outings of the season, throwing two interceptions, while his defense gave up 535 yards of offense and 18 fourth-quarter points.

Bottom Line?

These two last faced off in the regular season last year, a 32-25 Utes win in which they didn’t even have Huntley or Moss. As evident in last week’s lackluster performance against Oregon State at home, I believe this Ducks team is already mentally in the offseason with the CFP off the table. While Oregon’s defense has improved since these two last faced off, Utah’s has even more so. Lead all season by their 14 returning starters from last season, this Utes team comes into Friday night’s matchup with a chance to leave their legacy in Salt Lake City, which I don’t see them taking lightly. With Saturday’s dominoes unfallen prior to this one ending, Whittingham also knows, as he has the entire second half stretch of the regular season, that style points could come into play, and I expect him to pour it on late.

Pick: Utah -6.5

Sign up now at PointsBet and get up to $1,000 back on your first two bets! >>