Utah vs Oregon State Odds, Prediction & Props for Friday Night College Football

Odds as of September 26 at DraftKings. Get a DraftKings promo code to bet on NCAA football in Week 5 or browse the best College Football Betting Apps.

Utah Utes Betting Analysis

Rising, a preseason Heisman trophy odds longshot, hasn’t played since injuring his knee in January’s Rose Bowl. He dressed for pregame warmup for the first time all season in Week 4, but took the field in shorts and a t-shirt for kickoff.

Even without their star QB, the Utes have managed to go undefeated. They’ve beaten UCLA, Weber State, Baylor and Florida during that stretch, although the offense doesn’t deserve much of the credit.

With freshman Nate Johnson under center, Utah is averaging only 19.3 points per game. Johnson was a disappointing 9 of 17, for 117 yards last week versus #22 UCLA, posting a season-low 35.4 QBR. Early reports this week suggest both Rising and Johnson will split practice reps, but a starter isn’t likely to be named until game-time.

— Ivan (@UteFanIvan) September 24, 2023

Rising is coming off his best season of college ball, throwing for over 3,000 yards and 26 TD. He also rushed for 465 yards and six scores, leading the Utes to a Pac-12 Championship.

To make matters worse, Rising isn’t the only significant injury to the offense. Lead back Ja’Quinden Jackson was injured against the Bruins, while number two RB Micah Bernard is out for the season. Number one tight end Brant Kuithe has also yet to play so far thanks to a knee injury.

With the offense ailing, the defense has stepped up. Utah is yielding only 10.3 points per game, and 4.6 yards per play. Opponents are averaging a minuscule 1.7 yards per rush, while no team has allowed a lower conversion rate on third down (17.07%).

Oregon State Beavers Betting Analysis

The Utes will need another strong defensive outing on Friday to slow down a very good Oregon State offense. Former Clemson QB DJ Uiagalelei leads a unit that’s averaging 34.3 points per game, and 7 yards per play. Uiagalelei has thrown for 828 yards and 8 TD through four outings, but has tossed more INT (3) than touchdowns (2) over the past two weeks.

The Beavers are fresh off a 38-35 loss at #21 Washington State, in a game that exposed some flaws in their passing attack and defense. Uiagalelei completed only 50% of his passes, while the D allowed a season-high 528 yards to the Cougars, and over 12 yards per pass.

The silver lining is the Oregon State ground game which continues to impress. They racked up 242 yards on 39 carries, and four rushing scores. The Beavers rank eighth in the nation in yards per carry, and 14th in total rushing yards.

Utah vs Oregon State Predictions and Props

A date versus the elite Utes defense will be Oregon State’s toughest test yet, and it’s a matchup they’ve struggled with in the past. Utah has beaten the Beavers in six of the last seven meetings, including a 42-16 whopping last year.

Perhaps that dominance is swaying some bettors, but this matchup screams under first and foremost. The Utes defense is among the best in the country, and Oregon State’s passing offense has struggled recently. Sure, they’ll rely heavily on the ground game, but that just happens to be the biggest strength of the Utes D.

Utah vs Oregon State Head-to-Head Recent Results

On other side of the ball, if Rising sits we should expect another vanilla game plan from Utah. They’re hesitant to put too much on Johnson’s shoulders, and the significant list of injuries to their skill position players only makes his job harder.

Even if Rising plays, there’s a good chance it takes him a quarter or two to shake off the rust. This game has already been bet down to 44.5 at some sportsbooks, so make sure you price shop.

As for the props market, no lines were posted at the time of publish, but check back later for our favorite player prop bets.