College Football Betting: Utah Utes at Oregon State Beavers

A national championship is out of the picture for the Utah Utes after a loss to a middling USC team in mid-September, but the Utes can still win the Pac 12 for the first time since joining the conference earlier this decade. Utah made its first Pac 12 Championship Game appearance last season, and the school is looking to become just the second conference champion to emerge from the Pac 12 South. They will play the conference’s doormat in the Oregon State Beavers this week, but these Beavers have some bite.

UTAH UTES AT OREGON STATE BEAVERS
CFB LINE: UTAH -14
CFB TOTAL: 59

Oregon State is currently a two-touchdown home underdog per the college football betting odds, but the Beavers have been surprisingly decent this season. Their offense is better than anyone expected (12th in the nation per SP+) and their losses to Stanford and Hawaii were both coinflip games. Oregon State hammered UCLA for its first conference win of the year last week, and the Beavers have scored at least 28 points in every game this season.

RECENT HISTORY

Utah has ground out three straight wins against Oregon State. The Utes won by six points in 2014, 15 points in 2015, and five points in 2016. All three games were relatively low scoring, and all three would have sailed under Saturday’s total of 59.

WHEN OREGON STATE HAS THE BALL

The Beavers have done an excellent job running the ball this year. Oregon State is averaging 5.7 YPC, and star running back Artavis Pierce has run for 482 yards and five touchdowns in five games. This ground game has found success no matter the opponent, but it probably won’t have much luck against a Utah front seven that is one of the most menacing units in the country.

This Utah secondary can be beat though, and Jake Luton has the skill to do it. Luton is averaging 8.1 YPA this season, and he has yet to throw an interception. He had one of the best performances of his career last week against UCLA, torching the Bruins for 285 yards and five touchdowns through the air. We saw that Utah’s cornerbacks are susceptible to being beat on deep routes against USC, so Luton could hit some big plays.

Isaiah Hodgins is likely to be on the receiving end of any big plays. Hodgins has nearly 50 percent of Oregon State’s receiving yards this season, and he has 43 receptions for 632 yards. He has caught nine touchdown passes this year, so he is worth considering when it comes to NCAAF player props for Saturday night.

WHEN UTAH HAS THE BALL

The Utes boast one of the backfields in the country when Tyler Huntley and Zack Moss are on the field. Huntley is one of the top dual threat quarterbacks in the Pac 12. He has completed 74.6 percent of his passes this year, and he is averaging 10.1 YPA. The senior is on pace to have the best season of his career, and he has yet to throw an interception this campaign.

Unfortunately, Zack Moss has been banged up. He missed Utah’s last game and was knocked out early against USC, and the Utes have missed his presence. He is averaging 6.2 YPC on the year and no other running back has more than 132 yards.

Oregon State’s defense is ranked outside of the top 100 per SP+, so Utah shouldn’t have much trouble lighting up the scoreboard. The Beavers have surrendered at least 31 points in every game against FBS competition on the year, and they haven’t look strong against the run or the pass.

PREDICTION

The over is a great bet on Saturday night. These offenses both have the tools to move the ball well, and I expect the betting odds on this total to rise above 60 before kickoff. For a side, take the home underdog as Oregon State can keep it close here.

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