The No. 9 Utah Utes are back in the AP Poll top 10 after a string of victories, but they can slide right back out of it if they fail to sustain their momentum against the Washington Huskies on the road. The Huskies also have a shot at spoiling the Utes’ goal of winning the Pac-12 South division.
Betting on the Utah Utes (7-1 Overall / 4-1 Conference)
The Utes extended their unbeaten run to four games after swallowing the California Golden Bears alive in last Saturday’s 35-0 win at home. Running back Zack Moss, the Utes’ all-time leader in rushing yards added more to his career totals by producing 115 rushing yards and two scores on 17 carries. Moss is second in the Pac-12 with 104.0 rushing yards per game and tops the conference with 10 rushing touchdowns. It’s fair to expect Moss to come up with another huge day against the Huskies, who are allowing 147.6 rushing yards per game. But Utah is more than just about Moss. The Utes can also pass the ball and play solid defense. Tyler Huntley, who had 214 passing yards and a touchdown without an interception on 11-of-17 completions against California, is the engine that makes the Utes’ pass defense that averages 220.6 yards per game run. The Utes are also seventh nationally with just 11.7 points surrendered per contest.
The Utes are 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four games overall.
Betting on the Washington Huskies (5-3 Overall / 2-3 Conference)
The Huskies can only look back and shake their heads over their 35-31 home loss to the Oregon Ducks last week. Washington had a 14-point lead at one point in the second half, but could not take care of it. Washington quarterback Jacob Eason went 23 for 30 for 289 passing yards and three touchdowns and did not toss an interception, while running back HSalvon Ahmed had 140 rushing yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Washington’s offense stalled in the final quarter, as the Huskies could not make the timely conversions they needed to keep Justin Herbert and Oregon’s defense off the field. The Huskies finished 3 for 13 on third-down attempts. The Huskies can’t afford to lose their poise against Utah’s tough defense. The Huskies have the tools to puncture the Utes’ stop unit, though, Washington could be missing its second-leading rusher in Sean McGrew, who was absent in the Oregon game due to “health reasons.” Washington is averaging 34.1 points per contest.
