Utah vs USC Pac-12 Championship Betting: Utah, Trojans Go Blow-for-Blow in Shootout

The 2022 NCAA college football season is nearly at its end as we arrive at championship week. The Pac-12 Championship will be on the line in a massive matchup as the No. 11 Utah Utes take on the No. 4 USC Trojans. This is the second time this season that the two rivals are colliding and after how exciting that game was, you can bet that all eyes will be on the upcoming Utah vs USC tilt.

USC only has one loss this season — a one-point road loss to Utah in a game arguably decided by the officiating. USC will now have the chance to avenge that one loss against Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game on Friday. Caleb Williams and USC get the rematch they had hoped for. pic.twitter.com/al7blp6peU

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) November 27, 2022

After losing to then-No. 12 Oregon two weeks ago, Utah bounced back with a massive 63-21 win over Colorado last weekend. The victory marked the Utes’ fifth in their last six tries, so time will tell if they can keep the momentum going.

Meanwhile, USC has rattled off five consecutive victories following its sole loss of the season. Last week’s performance led to an impressive 38-27 win against then-No. 15 Notre Dame, giving the Trojans a boost as they try to get revenge on Utah for the first meeting this season.

Here are BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest Utah vs USC betting odds, as well as a prediction and best bet for the upcoming Pac-12 Championship Game tilt.

Utah vs USC Pac-12 Championship Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: No. 11 Utah Utes (9-3, 7-2 Pac-12) vs. No. 4 USC Trojans (11-1, 8-1 Pac-12)
• Venue & Location: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada)
• Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 2022
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Where to Watch Utah vs USC: FOX

Utah vs USC Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline Sportsbook as of Wednesday, Nov. 30 at 9:26 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Utah Utes +2.5 (-102)
• USC Trojans -2.5 (-120)

Over/Under

• Over 66.5 (-114)
• Under 66.5 (-106)

Moneyline

• Utah Utes +125
• USC Trojans -150

Utah vs USC Betting Trends

• Utah is 13-2 straight up in its last 15 games against the Pac-12.
• USC is 5-0 straight up in its last five games.
• Utah is 2-4 against the spread (ATS) in its last six games played on Friday.
• USC is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games played in December.
• The total has hit the over in six of Utah’s last eight games against USC.
• The total has hit the over in each of USC’s last six games.

Utah Utes vs USC Trojans Prediction and Picks

Utah vs USC Prediction: USC 38, Utah 35

Utah vs USC: USC -2.5 (Best Value: -120 at BetOnline) & Over 66.5 Points (Best Value: -114 at BetOnline)

As mentioned before, this isn’t the first time that these Pac-12 rivals have met this season.

Utah and USC clashed way back in Week 7 at Rice-Eccles Stadium. It was a back-and-forth affair that saw touchdown after touchdown scored. Eventually, Utah quarterback Cameron Rising scored a one-yard TD run and the ensuing two-point conversion attempt with 48 seconds remaining to give the Utes the 43-42 victory.

Having said that, Utah did have an advantage in that game from playing at its home stadium. The Pac-12 Championship Game being at Allegiant Stadium gives both sides an even playing field, making it interesting to see if USC can take advantage of the neutral site.

One thing that the Trojans will rely on is their high-flying offense to get the job done. Their 42.5 PPG clip ranks third-best in the nation, led by QB Caleb Williams, who’s racked up 3,712 passing yards with 34 touchdowns to three interceptions in 12 starts.

Caleb Williams’ last six games:

2,295 total YDs (382.5 YPG)
20 passing TDs
7 rush TDs

Heisman 🔜? pic.twitter.com/2nGEghXVfB

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 30, 2022

At the same time, Utah is no slouch on offense either. The Utes have the 14th-best offense (36.4 PPG) in college football, which has led to them scoring 40-plus points in three of their last four outings.

The bad news for Utah is that USC’s defense has improved a lot since the first meeting. The Trojans essentially shut down Notre Dame’s run game last week, holding the latter to just 90 yards on the ground. Considering how Utah owns one of the best rushing attacks in the country, a similar performance is needed for USC to win.

At the end of the day, USC has made it clear that the loss to Utah inspired the Trojans to play even better. Sometimes, that’s the type of motivation it takes to get the job done. With a potential College Football Playoff appearance also being on the line for USC in this matchup, I don’t see Lincoln Riley’s team losing here.

The Utah vs USC Pac-12 Championship Game will be a back-and-forth affair, however, the Trojans are the better team and will get the job done. Besides, USC is 12-0 straight up in its last dozen games as the favorite.

As far as the best bets go, back USC covering the 2.5-point spread. The Trojans are 5-2 against the spread (ATS) in their last seven games, whereas Utah is 2-4 ATS in six games away from Salt Lake City this season.

Just like the first meeting, I also expect this one to be a shootout. The Utah and USC offenses are two of the 14 best that the United States has to offer. With the Pac-12 Championship being decided in a closed environment, points should come on the board early and often, so back the over on the 66.5-point total.