Utah vs UO NCAA Football Odds
The Oregon Ducks had their hearts broken last week when they fell to the No. 5 Stanford Cardinal 26-20, but the hope is that their spirits are still high, as they enter Week 12’s matchup against the Utah Utes.
Utah (4-5, 1-5 Pac-12) @ No. 6 Oregon (8-1, 5-1 Pac-12)
Saturday, Nov. 16 4:00 PM ET @ Autzen Stadium
Spread: Oregon -27
O/U: 64.5
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Utah is coming off of three straight losses and has only won two of its last seven outings.
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This one has the potential to get ugly if the Ducks are focused and ready to get back on track.
Utah
The Utes have the unfortunate task of trying to tame an Oregon offense that is out to prove it is still worthy of a national championship appearance. The team is giving up just 25.1 points per contest, and while the defense has looked solid in its last two losses, neither Arizona State nor USC have the same kind of fire power that the Ducks have at this point.
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Utah is just 1-5 in Pac-12 competition, but that one win is what makes it a threat. The Utes shockingly took down the then-No. 5 Stanford Cardinal on Oct. 12 in a 27-21 thriller, and the hope is that they can play up to their competition once again.
The difference this time around is that Oregon is known for its offense, whereas Stanford will grind out a game any chance it gets. A low-scoring affair is what helped Utah find success against the Cardinal (not to mention being at home), and getting pressure on Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota is going to be the key to making that happen once again.
Oregon
The Oregon offense was stymied for three-and-a-half quarters last week, and while Stanford’s defense deserves a ton of credit for its success, the status of Marcus Mariota’s knee is what Utah fans will be curious about entering Week 12.
Mariota’s mobility appeared to be hindered against the Cardinal, as three of his normally explosive rush attempts were sacks. Oregon thrives off of the zone-read offense, and if the quarterback has lost a step because of an injury—which, of course, he says he hasn’t—you’re looking at an attack that is missing one of its key ingredients.
Luckily for the Ducks, they have plenty of weapons even if Mariota is confined to the pocket. It’s true that they had those same weapons in their loss last week to Stanford, but the truth is this: Oregon isn’t playing Stanford.
Despite watching Utah take down the Cardinal a few weeks back, Oregon is confident that it can win a high-scoring battle. The goal in Eugene is no longer a national championship, but a Pac-12 title is at least feasible if the Ducks win out and Stanford drops a game, presumably to either USC or Notre Dame.
Oregon can’t overlook a Utah team that is coming off of a one-point loss to a ranked Arizona State team, but you must also take history into consideration. Oregon is 10-3 against the spread in its last 13 conference games, while Utah is just 2-7 in its last nine.
The Autzen Stadium crowd may have the wind knocked out of it following last weekend’s performance, but they’ll quickly be reminded just how good this team can be when it gets its head back in the game.
Prediction: Oregon 53 – Utah 24
