Utah Utes vs Northwestern Wildcats Prediction, 12/23/2023 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Utah Utes vs Northwestern Wildcats

Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023

Location: Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV

TV: ABC

Odds/Point Spread: Wildcats (+9)

Total/Over-Under: 42.5

Allegiant Stadium is where the Northwestern Wildcats (7-5) will attempt to defeat the Utah Utes (8-4) on Saturday, December 23, 2023 in the SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl. Utah is 9-point favorites from Vegas oddsmakers. The over/under is 42.5.

The Utah Utes come into this game with a record of 8-4 this year. In their last game, the Utes faced the Colorado Buffaloes and walked away with a win by a score of 23-17. Luke Bottari went 6/10 with 61 yds through the air. He had a quarterback rating of 111.2 and ended the game without throwing a pick. Jaylon Glover was the best rusher for the Utes with 17 totes for 107 yds (6.3 yds per carry). At the end of the game, they tallied 63 plays which gave them 329 yards. The Utah Utes ran the football 53 times and recorded 268 yards, which had them averaging 5.1 yds per attempt. Against the rush, the Utes conceded 37 yds on 17 tries, which calculates to 2.2 yards per run surrendered. Utah relinquished 18 completions on 25 attempts for a total of 225 yards, and a completion percentage of 72.0%.

When it comes to getting in the endzone, the Utah Utes are averaging 24.5 points per outing. Offensively they're averaging 186.3 yards rushing which is 27th in college football. The Utes have earned 4,318 total yards this season. In terms of getting the ball in the endzone, Utah has compiled 16 passing touchdowns and 18 rushing touchdowns. Utah has earned 232 first downs offensively, and they have been hurt by 62 penalties for 511 yards. They have turned the ball over 10 times.

The Utes sit in 23rd in the nation when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 19.8 points per contest. The opposition is running for 3.2 yards per rushing attempt and 84.3 rushing yards per game this year. Over the course of this year, they have allowed 1,012 rushing yards through 12 outings. When talking about passing yardage, the Utes have conceded 2,692 yds which puts them in 62nd in the nation. They are conceding 224.3 yards per game via the pass and conceding a completion percentage of 58.2%. During the season, they have relinquished 308.6 yards per contest ranking them 17th in D-1. They have given up 16 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 13 touchdowns running the ball.

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The Wildcats step onto the field holding a record of 7-5 for this year. When they last stepped on the gridiron, the Wildcats went home victorious with a score of 45-43 against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Ben Bryant (2 touchdowns) walked away from the game with 234 yards on 24/32 passing while his QB rate was 144.6. He tossed 2 interceptions and his average yards per attempt was 7.3. Cam Porter carried the rock 16 times for 69 yds, ending the game with 4.3 yards per attempt for Northwestern. The Wildcats finished with a total of 379 yards while running 69 plays (5.5 yds per play). Northwestern ran the football for 3.9 yards per tote, finishing with a total of 145 yards on 37 carries. Northwestern conceded 32 rushing attempts for 107 yards (3.3 yards per rush). The Wildcats passing defense gave up a completion percentage of 71.4%, surrendering 348 yards on 25 out of 35 passing.

The Northwestern Wildcats have an average of 305.1 yards/game, which has them ranked 124th in the country. The Northwestern offense has racked up 524 yards of penalties on 65 infractions, which ranks 91st in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They average 105.0 yards per game on the ground and have toted the ball for 1,260 yards in total. They have tossed 8 picks while conceding 1 fumbles and they have been able to tally 202 1st downs. In relation to their scoring prowess, the Wildcats are 102nd in the country averaging 22.8 points per game. Over the course of the season to this point, the Wildcats have compiled 2,401 passing yards as well as holding an average of 200.1 passing yards per contest, giving them a rank of 98th in college football.

Northwestern has surrendered a total of 1,914 yards via the ground game (159.5 yards per outing) in addition to 19 touchdowns rushing so far this season. They have allowed 16 touchdowns through the air in addition to 192.1 yards/outing, ranking them 24th in Division 1. Their defense has tallied 8 fumbles and 11 picks on the season. The Wildcats defense has taken part in 797 plays, which is good for 55th in college football. The Wildcats are relinquishing 23.8 points per game, which puts them 51st in college football. This year, they have relinquished 286 points in total.

Who will win tonight's Utes/Wildcats college football game against the spread?

Guy's Pick: Take the Utes -9

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