Archived: Utah vs Washington: Odds, Picks & Betting Preview

Utah vs. Washington (-5)

Fri. 11/30, 8:00 p.m. ET in Santa Clara, CA

Three things you need to know before betting on Utah-Washington:

1. Since the start of the 2011-12 season, Washington is 5-1 straight up and 3-3 against the spread when facing Utah. The two teams met in Utah earlier in the year, and the Huskies won that game 21-7 as four-point road favorites. The stakes are obviously higher in Friday’s Pac-12 Championship Game, but Washington should be better suited to deal with the pressure that comes with a contest like this. Not only is Washington the only team of the two that has played in a Pac-12 Championship Game—they won it back in 2016—but they are also coming off of a huge 28-15 road win over Washington State in the Apple Cup. That game featured some enormous stakes, with the Cougars boasting a top-10 tanking and a spot in this weekend’s game on the line. Another thing worth keeping an eye on is the fact that Chris Petersen is 11-5 against the spread when favored by 3.5 to 10 points as the head coach of Washington.

3. In last week’s win over Washington State, the Huskies showed just how good their defense can be. This Washington team is ranked eighth in the nation in scoring defense at 16.5 points allowed per game. That’s impressive to begin with, but it’s even better when considering the fact that the Pac-12 features a number of teams that pride themselves on scoring the football.

Ben Burr-Kirven is a player to watch on Friday night. The senior linebacker has recorded double-digit tackles in all but two games this season, and he’ll be extra motivated knowing that this is his last chance to win a conference championship. A telling defensive number when looking at this game is that Washington has a top-20 rushing defense this year in allowing 121.8 yards per game on the ground. Considering the running game is such a big part of Utah’s offense, it’s going to be hard for them to put points on the board against this Huskies front. And itt doesn’t help that the Utes haven’t had the most consistent play under center this year.

Pick: Washington (-5)