Utah-Colorado
Time: NOON CST
Spread: UTA -9
M/L: UTA -340; COL +270
Total: 58
Betting odds c/o Bovada
No. 25 ranked Utah has lost three of its past four games, but understandably so. The losses came to powerhouses like Arizona State, Oregon and Arizona. Sandwiched between was a double-OT win over the Stanford Cardinal.
This week, the Utes travel to face Colorado in a matchup college football oddsmakers are setting the line 9-points in favor of the Utes.
Utah has held its own against a pretty tough schedule this year. In matchups against AP ranked opponents, the Utes have gone 2-3, with victories over UCLA and USC and the three aforementioned losses. Accordingly, the Utes point differentials and offensive numbers aren’t jump off the sheet impressive. The rush offense is generating 180.7 yards per game, largely due to the efforts of Devontae Booker, who has been an absolute monster.
Booker has rushed for 1,255 yards this season and eight TDs, while the rest of the Utes have rushed for seven.
Utes’ QB Travis Wilson is second on the team in rushing yardage (207) and has two TDs, but he musters just 2.2 yards per carry. Wilson hasn’t been bad in the pocket, though, either. He’s thrown for 1,701 yards at a 59.2 percent clip while having thrown 14 TDs to four INTs. He’s built on his three seasons at Utah and will look to have a strong senior year next season. His most impressive game of the year came in the win over the Cardinal, when he threw 21-of-28 for 297 yards and two TDs (though he did throw two picks, as well).
67 percent of bettors on Covers.com are picking Utah to cover the spread, largely because it is difficult to see what has inspired college football oddsmakers to have so much confidence in the 2-9 Colorado Buffaloes, who have yet to win in Pac-12 play. Colorado hasn’t won since Sept. 20 against Hawaii and has the opportunity to close the season on a real high note, with a potential eight-game losing streak.
Last week the Buffaloes were humiliated by Oregon, losing 44-10, which was a good followup from allowing Arizona to smash them.
Colorado’s defense has been nothing short of abysmal, allowing 39.1 points per game this season. The Buffaloes have not held an opponent under 38 points since the win over Hawaii, and that was one of only two games in which Colorado did so. The other? They lost that one too, to Colorado State, 31-17 in Week 1.
