Oregon vs. Utah picks and best bets for the Pac-12 Championship

The Pac-12 Championship Game has moved to Las Vegas this year and a trip to the Rose Bowl will be on the line at Allegiant Stadium on Friday. The No. 10 Oregon Ducks will battle the No. 17 Utah Utes for the league title and kick off is set for 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Oregon (10-2, 7-2 Pac-12) was able to clinch the north division title last Saturday by downing rival Oregon State 38-29 in Eugene. The Ducks were able to play keep-away from the Beavers for most of the game, holding possession for over 37 minutes. That was helped by them converting 10-of-13 attempts on third downs. Offensively, quarterback Anthony Brown threw for two touchdowns through the air and running back Travis Dye added 99 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.

Utah (9-3, 8-1 Pac-12) capped a strong finish to its regular season by putting down Colorado for a 28-13 victory. As expected, the Utes bullied the Buffaloes offensively and held the ball for over 34 minutes of game time. Star running back Tavion Thomas took 25 carries for 142 rushing yards and a touchdown in this one. Quarterback Cameron Rising threw three touchdowns and an interception in the game.

This game will be a rematch of the their showdown in Salt Lake City two weeks ago, a 38-7 Utes shellacking that knocked the Ducks out of the College Football Playoff conversation. We’ll see if Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal has made adjustments since then.

Here’s all the data you’ll want, and a pick for the game!

SP+ Rankings

Oregon: 19th overall, 18th offense, 49th defense
Utah: 16th overall, 19th offense, 17th defense

Injury update

Oregon

OL Ryan Walk Out - Leg

Safety Steve Stephens IV Day-to-day - Lower body

TE D.J. Johnson Day-to-day - undisclosed

WR Jaylon Redd Out - Undisclosed

WR Johnny Johnson III Out - Lower body

Utah

OL Jaren Kump Out indefinitely - Leg

ATS/Total

Against The Spread

Oregon: 5-7 ATS
Utah: 5-7 ATS

Total

Oregon: Over 6-6
Utah: Over 8-4

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Utah -3
Total: 57.5
Moneyline: Utah -140, Oregon +120

Opening line: Utah -3
Opening total: 60

Weather

Climate controlled in Allegiant Stadium.

The Pick

Under 57.5

The totals of each game for both of these teams this year average out to just under 59 points per game. As has been mentioned before, both Oregon and Utah are effective at controlling the pace of games offensively by extending drives to wear the opposing defenses down. This is exemplified by both of these being two of the best teams in the nation in converting on third down.

We’ll see who is able to get the edge in Las Vegas but Oregon and Utah will both be comfortable in a game where they’d have to grind out a win in a not-so high scoring affair. Go with the under here.

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