by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Dec 20, 2023
Game Time: 7:30 pm ET, Saturday, December 23, 2023
Venue: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
Where to Watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Utah -6.5, NW +6.5; Over/Under: 41.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Utah -6.5, NW +6.5; Over/Under: 42 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Utah -6.5, NW +6.5; Over/Under: 41.5 points
Season Record
Utah Utes: 8-4 (5-4) (5th place, Pac-12)
Northwestern Wildcats: 7-5 (5-4) (3rd place, Big Ten West)
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Recent Form
Utah Utes: won their last game at home against the Colorado Buffaloes 23-17.
Northwestern Wildcats: won their last game on the road against the Illinois Fighting Illini 45-43.
Utah Utes vs Northwestern Wildcats Preview and Analysis
Utah is entering this game with an 8-4 record overall and they have a 5-4 record in their conference games too. They are 6-1 in their home games, 2-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Colorado 23-17. Luke Bottari was the starting QB and he completed 6/10 passes for 61 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Jaylon Glover led the team in rushing yards with 107. Mikey Matthews led the receivers with 19 receiving yards on 2 receptions. Levani Damuni led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while Cole Bishop and Connor O'Toole each led the defense in sacks with 1. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that game.
Northwestern is entering this game with a 7-5 record overall and they have a 5-4 record in their conference games too. They are 5-1 in their home games, 2-3 in their road games, and they are also 0-1 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at a neutral site for this game. They won their last game against Illinois 45-43. Ben Bryant was the starting QB and he completed 24/32 passes for 234 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Cam Porter led the team in rushing yards with 69. Cam Johnson led the receivers with 124 receiving yards on 7 receptions and 1 TD. Bryce Gallagher led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Jaylen Pate and Anto Saka each led the defense in sacks with 1. Jaheem Joseph and Xander Mueller each came away with 1 interception for them in that game.
Utah vs Northwestern Prediction
The current betting odds have Northwestern listed as a 6.5 point underdog in this Las Vegas Bowl game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Utah has looked really good in their games this season with their 8-4 record overall but a lot of that was their great defense keeping them in games. They were missing their starting QB Cam Rising all season and their offense really suffered because of it. They were great in their home games this season but they struggled more in their road games with their 2-3 road record and they are also dealing with a large number of their players entering the transfer portal. Meanwhile, Northwestern has also looked good in their games this season with their 7-5 record overall, especially since they were left for dead at the beginning of the season with the pre-season scandal they had. They finished the season very strong though and their offense looked a lot better in those games too. Northwestern has a good enough offense to keep this a close game as they have the clear advantage there, Utah's offense struggling all season and now without a solid QB, but Northwestern also has a solid defense that will be able to get the stops they need with the way this Utah offense has been. Northwestern is live to win this game outright. The best way to place a bet here is on Northwestern to cover the spread in this game.
Utah Northwestern Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, December 23, 2023 (7:30 pm ET start time) is Northwestern 23 Utah 14.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Utah Utes: 17-8 ATS in a bowl game. 40-22 ATS after a bye week. 7-2 ATS after a game where they committed no turnovers. 9-4 UNDER as a neutral field favorite. 28-9 UNDER off a close win by 7 points or less over a conference rival. 11-6 UNDER off a home win.
Northwestern Wildcats: 2-7 ATS in non-conference games. 5-10 ATS after 1 or more consecutive wins against the spread. 1-5 ATS after a game where they forced 3 or more turnovers. 29-17 UNDER off a road win against a conference rival. 41-22 UNDER after a game with a turnover margin of +2 or better.
Key Injuries
Utah Utes: B. Kuithe (TE) out for season - Knee. C. Rising (QB) out for season - Knee. T. Yassmin (TE) out for season - Undisclosed. M. Pittman (WR) out for season - Undisclosed. C. Curry (RB) out for season - Undisclosed. L. Fano (DE) out for season - Knee. B. Rose (QB) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. M. Bernard (RB) out for season - Undisclosed.
Northwestern Wildcats: D. Olges (DL) Ques Sat - Undisclosed. J. Gill (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. C. Petrucci (TE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. F. Covey IV (WR) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. Fitzgerald (TE) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“When Utah is playing its best, we’re running the football effectively, we’re dominating time of play, and we’re not turning the ball over. That’s who we are.” - Kyle Whittingham after his team’s win against Colorado in their last game of the college football regular season.
“I'm really proud of this group of men. After becoming bowl eligible last week (with a win over Purdue), there were a lot of reasons to not have the laser focus we expect this week. But we had a great week of preparation. Winning a rivalry game is never easy.” - David Braun after his team’s win against Illinois in their last game of the college football regular season.
Starting Lineups
Utah Utes
WR Parks, Money
WR Caldarella, Luca
WR McClain, Munir
TE Suguturaga, Miki
TE King, Landen
QB Barnes, Bryson
RB Jackson, Ja'Quinden
Northwestern Wildcats
WR Johnson, Cam
WR Kirtz, Bryce
WR Henning, A.J.
TE Mangieri, Charlie
TE Gordon, Thomas
QB Bryant, Ben
RB Porter, Cam
Statistical Leaders
Utah Utes
Passing: B. Barnes (1517)
Rushing: J. Jackson (742)
Receiving: D. Vele (593)
Touchdowns: S. Vaki (5)
Northwestern Wildcats
Passing: B. Bryant (1585)
Rushing: C. Porter (618)
Receiving: B. Kirtz (633)
Touchdowns: A. Henning (5)
Coaches:
Utah Utes: Kyle Whittingham (20th season)
Northwestern Wildcats: David Braun (Interim)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
