OUR PICK
UNDER
Utah Utes vs. Washington Huskies Pac-12 Championship Betting Odds:
Spread:
Utah +5(-110)
vs. Washington -5(-110)
Total:
Over 44.5(-105)
Under 44.5(-115)
Betting odds provided by Sportsbetting.ag
Utah vs. Washington Pick:
This will be the second meeting of the year for Utah and Washington. They had an early season September matchup, which resulted in a 21-7 win for Washington in Utah on the 15th. Huntley was held in check with just 138 yards passing and an interception. He won’t be able to get any payback on the Huskies, as that will have to happen with Shelley at the controls.
Shelley has passed for 3 touchdowns, 1 interception, with 56.3% completions. He poses the same threat as Huntley on the ground. Shelley has rushed for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns. Note that he has only had three starts in his career, though. Those came against Oregon, Colorado, and BYU. His decision making isn’t going to be as sharp as Huntley this point in his career.
He must pace the Utah offense against a defense that rank 13th in the nation with 311 yards allowed per game. Overall, the Huskies have surrendered only 16.5 points per game. It’s not ideal that Utah must go into this game with an inexperience quarterback against an experienced defense. Not only are the Utes down Huntley, but they are down their starting running back, Zack Moss, too. That leaves 6.1 yards per carry out of this game. Instead, look for Armand Shyne to get the brunt of the carries. He has rushed for 442 yards on a 4.9 yards per carry average.
Gaskin chewed up the Utah defense for 143 yards in their first meeting this season. Browning did just enough with 155 yards passing, a touchdown, and interception, but it was Gaskin who was the difference. Note, though, the Utes’ run defense has improved considerably since that game. Utah are 5th in the FBS with 100.3 yards per game allowed on the ground. They’re just behind Washington overall, with 316 yards allowed per game for 15th in the nation, So, just 5 yards separates the two defensive units. If you like physical football, this is going to the game for you this weekend. Expect a closer final score than in September, but it should be a game dominated by defense again. The winner goes to the Rose Bowl, so the stakes are high. A 23-20 or 24-17 final looks accurate at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Friday night.