Oregon vs. Utah Spread, Line, Odds, Predictions, Picks, and Betting Preview
The Oregon Ducks (10-2) take on the Utah Utes (9-3) in the 2021 PAC-12 Championship Game.
The game will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Oregon fans always travel well compared to the rest of the conference, but Las Vegas is close enough to the state of Utah that a large Utes crowd should also be expected. The Ducks won't be pleased the game no longer takes place at Levi Stadium, having made Santa Clara a second home during past championship games.
The Ducks were in the playoff discussion for a few weeks but ultimately fell flat. They've lost only twice, but both have been major disappointments — in overtime to a bad Stanford team and a 38-7 destruction at the hands of Utah.
It's hard to split hairs with the Utes, who have won eight of their past nine games. The switch to Cam Rising at quarterback early in the season completely revitalized this team. They're dangerous everywhere and have few weaknesses.
Utah proved to be the better team only a few short weeks ago. While that game was played in Salt Lake City in November (a huge home-field advantage), a venue change shouldn't result in a 31-point swing.
In the first meeting, Oregon couldn't establish the running game, managing a measly 63 yards on 23 attempts. Quarterback Anthony Brown is a game manager and hasn't proven to be dynamic enough to win a big game on his own if the rushing attack falters again.
Utah has run for over 200 yards in six of their previous nine games, including a whopping 441 yards against Stanford. They've held three of their past four opponents under the 100 rushing yard barrier. Utah has been winning at the line of scrimmage and should be able to do that yet again in Friday night's championship game against Oregon.
The model likes Utah, and so do we. The victories usually come out ahead once again in the rematch, and that's what we foresee happening in the PAC-12 Championship game as the Utes secure their first-ever PAC-12 title.
Pick: Utah -2.5
