Free NCAA Football Prediction: Penn State vs. Utah Odds
Looking for Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Utah Utes free picks? College football betting sees the Nittany Lions taking on the Utes on Monday, January 2nd, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football game predictions like this Nittany Lions Utes free pick.
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College Football Handicapping Analysis: Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Utah Utes
2023 Rose Bowl
Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) vs. Utah Utes (10-3)
Date: Monday, January 2nd, 2023
Time: 5:00 PM ET
Venue: Rose Bowl, Pasadena, CA
NCAA Football ATS Spread Odds: Nittany Lions +2.5 / Utes -2.5 (Bet Now!)
NCAA Football Moneyline Odds: Nittany Lions +113 / Utes -137
NCAA Betting Total Odds: Total O/U 52.5
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Utah returns to the Rose Bowl for the second straight year to face Penn State and James Franklin, looking for a signature win against a top opponent.
Penn State’s two losses this season came against their only quality opponents all year in Ohio State and Michigan. James Franklin can’t escape the chatter that he is incapable of winning the big ones. He’s armed with a fresh extension though and can quiet concerns with a win over Utah in the Granddaddy of them all.
Utah was here last year in a barn burner against Ohio State. Ultimately Ohio State sealed a 45-42 win thanks to record setting days from CJ Stroud and wideout Jaxson Smith-Njigba. Cam Rising and the Utes look to get rid of the bad taste in their mouth.
Penn State Nittany Lions
Sean Clifford plays his final game in a Penn State jersey in this one and for some fans it’s likely a welcomed sight. Clifford has struggled off and on throughout his tenure and has always been susceptible to a blow up game.
The Nittany Lions rank a respectable 35th in yards/play but move pretty slowly. In fact, their offense is mostly built off of explosiveness, which is usually a more difficult way of sustainably running an offense.
Running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen averaged more than 5.3 ypc with each getting 149 carries or more. Utah ranks a mere 90th in defending rush explosiveness, so expect plenty of big runs for Penn State.
Where Penn State excels is the defensive side of the ball where they rank 13th in defensive PPA. The offense can live off of explosiveness IF the defense gives them enough runway to work with. They’ve been especially stout against the pass, but Joey Porter Jr. will not play in this game as he prepares for the NFL draft.
Utah Utes
Utah has sported a dynamic offense themselves this season, though TE Dalton Kincaid will not play in this bowl game.
Where the Utes dominate is the rushing attack. Almost every metric we can look at — rushing success rate, stuff rate, line yards and PPA — tells us this is an awesome offense.
The leadership of Cam Rising is big in this game, not only because he’s the quarterback, but he played in this game last year. He understands the feel of the stadium and the magnitude of the moment.
Not having Kincaid, the leading pass catcher, is a big loss but there are other explosive options on the roster. Devaughn Vele and Thomas Yassmin are names we’re likely to hear throughout this game.
I detailed above, but Utah struggles with stopping rush explosiveness which is bad news against Penn State. They’re also 128th in forcing opponents into passing downs, which takes the pressure off of Clifford. But remember, this is a defense that was able to do just enough to beat USC in the conference title game.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends
- Penn State is 5-0-1 ATS in its last 6 games
- Penn State is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
- Utah is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
4* Rose Bowl NCAA Betting Final Analysis:
There’s no way around it, James Franklin has a bad track record against top-10 teams.
Utah went to this game last year and narrowly missed winning it against an offensive juggernaut team in Ohio State.
Clifford can blow up at any time and is not someone I’m ever comfortable backing. This game could end up being a boat race.
Still, I’m siding with the Utes to cover here.
4* Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Utah Utes NCAA Betting Pick:
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