No. 7 USC Trojans will their perfect record on the line against No. 20 Utah Utes on Saturday (October 15) in one of the biggest NCAA Pac-12 conference games this weekend.
Both teams were widely predicted to win the conference going into the 2022 season. However, only the Trojans have remained unbeaten in league play thus far.
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Last week, Utah lost at UCLA, improving its overall record to 4-2 and Pac-12 record to 2-1. The Utes offense took a while to get going. By the time they did, they were chasing a double-digit disadvantage that would last for the rest of the game, leading to a 42-32 loss.
At home, Travis Dye led the Trojans to a 30-14 victory at home to climb to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. USC relied on its defense to shut out Washington State in the second half.
As a result, the two teams enter this matchup on Saturday night in very different positions. Utah will look to give the Trojans their first Pac-12 loss, while USC will aim to move up from being a serious College Football Playoff candidate to being a Pac-12 title challenger.
Trojans vs Utes Betting Odds
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Trojans vs Utes Match Details
Fixture: Trojans at Utes
Date and Time: Saturday, October 15; 8:00 pm ET
Venue: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Trojans vs Utes Head-to-Head
USC has a 11-5 overall series advantage. Utah has a 4-7 record against USC as a Pac-12 member. Both of Utah and USC's bowl games ended in victories: Utah in the 2001 Las Vegas Bowl and USC in the 1993 Freedom Bowl.
The Trojans beat the Utes 28-2 in their first meeting in 1925. Perhaps Utah's victory over USC in 2016 stands out as their most notable. A ten-point deficit in the fourth quarter was overcome by No. 24 Utah, who produced a masterful comeback.
Trojans vs Utes Key Stats
Team Stats: Trojans
points per game: 40.2, points allowed per game: 18.7, total yards: 461.8, yards passing: 278.5, yards rushing: 183.3, yards allowed: 351.5, pass yards allowed: 198.8, rush yards allowed: 152.7
Team Stats: Utes
points per game: 40.3, points allowed per game: 19, total yards: 457.8, yards passing: 256.3, yards rushing: 201.5, yards allowed: 315.8, pass yards allowed: 179.3, rush yards allowed: 136.5
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Trojans vs Utes Best Picks and Prediction
As the Utes just suffered their second setback of the season, many bettors will be perplexed when they see Utah favored over unbeaten USC. On Saturday night, Utah is the choice, though. With an 11-game winning streak at home, they're a different team there.
With all six of their victories coming against unranked opponents, USC faces quite a test here. They will face their best opponents and the worst playing conditions they have ever encountered. It could be challenging for the Trojans to cover the spread on Saturday, as they are 1-4 ATS in their last five games at Utah.
Pick: Utah -3.5 (-105)
Prediction: Utah -165
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