After a first defeat, the No. 8 Oregon Ducks rebounded by beating Washington State, and a road test at the No. 13 Utah Utes is up next.
It’s a rematch of the 2021 Pac-12 Championship game, which Utah won, but Oregon took a 20-17 win at Autzen Stadium last season and leads the all-time series 24-12.
Read on for our Oregon Ducks vs. Utah Utes college football picks and predictions for Saturday, Oct. 28, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Oregon vs Utah Odds
Track our latest CFB odds for Ducks vs Utes:
NCAAF lines used for Oregon vs Utah were current as of Sept. 22 at 11 p.m. ET on DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Moneyline: Oregon (-238) • Utah (+195)
- Spread: Oregon -6.5 (-110) • Utah +6.5 (-110)
- Total Points: Over 49.5 (-110) • Under 49.5 (-110)
Oregon is set as a road favorite at just under the round touchdown number of -7, while the total is set at 49.5 with two strong defenses set to square off.
Oregon vs Utah Prediction
SCORE PICK: Oregon 27, Utah 17
The big storyline this year for Utah has been around quarterback Cameron Rising, a former first-team All-Pac-12 selection.
His post-injury status was up in the air coming into Opening Day, and after missing the first seven games of the Utes’ season, coach Kyle Whittingham confirmed what we were already beginning to realize; Rising is done for the year.
Utah’s quarterback play has been pretty mediocre in Rising’s absence, and even at home, it won’t be enough to score on Oregon’s defense.
On the other side of things, Oregon’s offense is truly elite, but it might be without star rusher Bucky Irving and could have a tough time at the fearsome Rice-Eccles Stadium against Utah’s top-10 defense.
The Ducks should pull away in this one, but they won’t light up the scoreboard like they so often do.
Oregon vs Utah Best Bets
Oregon -6.5 (-110)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
It goes almost without saying, but this key number of 6.5 creates a lot of value for Oregon, who will cover by winning by a touchdown.
Utah’s offense, which ranks outside of the top 100 in EPA per play, is simply not going to be able to do enough to stay in this game and cover the spread.
The air game without Rising has been especially poor, and the rushing offense – which is also just 101st in EPA per play – has not been nearly good enough to pick up the slack.
Defensive lineman Taki Taimani has established himself as a true run-stopping star, while safeties Steve Stephens IV and Evan Williams have papered over a lot of lost talent in the secondary, helping the unit perform well even amid all the turnover.
Under 49.5 (-110)
BetRivers Sportsbook • WAGER: 1 unit
Oregon’s rushing attack has been one of the best in the country, but it’s likely to slip a good bit if Irving is hurt or limited.
He’s likely the Ducks’ best player, with 649 rushing yards at a rate of 7.5 per carry and even 222 yards receiving.
Even without Irving in the lineup, or being used sparingly, Oregon will still run the football – which is great for running the clock and promoting the Under, but it will likely be less explosive.
It will be going up against a Utah defense that has put in some great performances at home, including games in which it allowed just 11 points to Florida and seven to UCLA.
Oregon’s offense got off to a slow start on the road against Stanford, only put up 20 points at Baylor, and lost at Washington.
With the Utes featuring the seventh best defense in all of football by EPA per play and having not much to speak of on offense, this Under is a smash hit.
Oregon vs Utah Same-Game Parlay
Oregon vs Utah SGP (+262)
DraftKings Sportsbook • WAGER: 0.50 units
- Under 49.5 (-110)
- Oregon -6.5 (-110)
With limited early options when it comes to building a same-game parlay, we’re going to take our two selections from above and pair them together.
This one tracks with our projection that the Ducks don’t fly quite as high as they usually do on offense but the Utah offense never even really gets off of the mat.
If available by the time you’re placing your wager, consider playing the Under on one or both team totals.
It will, of course, depend on the numbers, but with Irving either out or limited, Oregon is going to have a slower day. With Utah running the eighth-most run-heavy offense in the country, this one should be over in a hurry.
