Utah vs Oregon State Prediction

pickdawgz.com

28 September 2023

The Utah Utes will play the Oregon State Beavers in a PAC-12 game on Friday night at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon. Utah comes into this game undefeated and has played very good defense, while Oregon State is trying to bounce back after a loss last weekend.

Utah Preview

The Utah Utes are 4-0 (1-0) this season after they defeated UCLA by a score of 14-7 in their last game. Utah led 14-0 at the half and didn’t allow the Bruins to score until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter. The Utes were out gained by a total of 243-219, but did force two turnovers in the win. Utah defeated Florida, Baylor, and Weber State in their first three games, only allowing 31 total points in those three wins. The Utah offense is scoring 22.3 points per game with 157 passing yards per game and 165.5 rushing yards per game, while going 37.1% on third down conversions this year. Nate Johnson has thrown for 398 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 150 yards and three touchdowns for the Utes this season. Cam Rising is questionable for this game, but he has yet to play this season. Ja’Quinden Jackson has rushed for 239 yards, while Money Parks has caught 10 passes for 151 yards and two scores. The Utah defense is allowing 9.5 points against per game and has been great through four games.

Oregon State Preview

The Oregon State Beavers are 3-1 (0-1) this season after they lost to Washington State by a score of 38-35 last week. Oregon State trailed 35-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but was able to make the score much more respectable with three touchdowns in the final quarter. The Beavers were out gained by a total of 528-440, but did force two turnovers in the win. Oregon State defeated San Jose State, UC Davis, and San Diego State in their first three games. The Oregon State offense is averaging 39.5 points per game with 234.8 passing yards per game and 224.8 rushing yards per game, while going 46.5% on third down attempts. DJ Uiagalelei has thrown for 828 yards, seven touchdowns, and three interceptions for the Beavers this season. Damien Martinez has rushed for 253 yards and four scores, while Silas Bolden has caught 18 passes for 235 yards and one touchdown. The Oregon State defense is giving up 17.8 points against per game, but did give up a ton of points and yards last week to Washington State.

Oregon State Beavers Team Facts

Oregon State has won 13 of its last 14 games at Reser Stadium.
Oregon State has covered the spread in each of its last nine games against conference opponents at Reser Stadium.
Oregon State has won the first quarter in each of its last four games against conference opponents at Reser Stadium.
Oregon State has won the first half in six of its last seven games against conference opponents at Reser Stadium.
Four of Oregon State's last five games at Reser Stadium have gone OVER the total points line.

Utah Utes Team Facts

Utah has won four of its last five September games as a road underdog.
Utah has covered the spread in five of its last six games against conference opponents.
Utah has won the first half in 14 of its last 18 games against conference opponents.
Each of Utah's last four games have gone UNDER the total points line.

Matchup/League Facts

Oregon State ranked 8th among FBS teams for H1 points allowed per game last season (8.4).
Oregon State ranked T8th among FBS teams for Q4 win percentage last season (.692).
Utah ranked 4th among FBS teams for Q3 win percentage last season (.714).
Utah ranked 8th among FBS teams for H1 points per game last season (20.5).

Pick

Oregon State will look to bounce back in this game, after playing some poor defense against Washington State last week. Utah comes into this matchup undefeated and while their offense hasn’t looked great, their defense has been very good. The Utes haven’t allowed more than 13 points in a game this year, but will be tested by a high-powered Oregon State offense. It will be interesting to see if Cam Rising is able to play, but even if he does, it will take some time for him to get back in rhythm. I think this game could go either way, so I am going to look at the total. The Utah defense has been one of the best units in the country and I think this is setting up for a low scoring game. Take the under here.