Henry Roldán
The bowl season closes in style this coming Monday, when two of the best college football teams of the season, Penn State vs Utah, meet in the legendary Rose Bowl.
The Nittany Lions will represent the Big Ten Conference, after losing only two games this campaign, while the Utes will play for the Pac-12, emerging as conference champions after defeating the Trojans. Without further ado, at JefeBet we bring you the best preview of the incredible match between the Penn State Nittany Lions vs Utah Utes.
Predictions and Betting Preview for the Penn State vs Utah Rose Bowl NCAA Football on January 2, 2023.
- Where: Rose Bowl (Neutral) – Pasadena, California.
- When: Monday, January 2, 2023, 5:00 PM E.T.
Odds provided by BetMGM.
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Betting on the Penn State Nittany Lions
- Season record: 10-2.
- Spread: +2.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: (+110).
- Over/Under: 52.5
Penn State’s season was truly spectacular, as they not only finished ninth in the AP rankings, but they were also only defeated by Michigan and Ohio State, conference rivals who are playing in the national semifinals.
The great Nittany Lions performance was basically supported by their good defense. Proof of this is that in their last four games they allowed only 40 total points, finishing the year ninth in the nation in average points conceded per game with just 18.0. More specifically, their forte was stopping the ground attack, where they finished 15th in the league with just 106.2 yards allowed per game.
The offensive side is not as solid as the defense, but that does not affect their capability to do damage. With an average of 35.8 points per commitment, the Nittany Lions finished 19th in the nation, and what makes it very difficult to defend against is that they have a very balanced attack. Penn State finished inside the top 50 teams in average air yards per game, ground yards per game, and total yards per commitment.
Betting on the Utah Utes
- Season record: 10-3.
- Spread: -2.5
- BetMGM Moneyline: (-135).
- Over/Under: 52.5
For the second consecutive campaign, the Utes ranked seventh in the AP rankings, and they have been selected to play in the Rose Bowl, and this year, they have the talent to avenge last year’s loss to Ohio State by a field goal.
Utah was the best team in the Pac-12, and much of that was due to having a great offense at their disposal. With an average of 40 points scored per game, they finished as the eighth best in the nation, while their ground game is one of the most feared in the league. Their 220.5 yards on the ground was the 10th best record per commitment in the circuit, and their quarterback, Cameron Rising, threw nearly 3,000 yards on 25 touchdown passes.
Defensively, the Utes are not as solid on offense as their opponents, but that performance was more than enough to back up the good advantages gained by their offense. Their opponents averaged just 20.4 points per game against them, and when it came to stopping the ground attack, they finished 16th by allowing an average of 107 yards per game .
JefeBet Prediction
After the national semifinals, this will probably be the most evenly matched Bowl of the year, with two teams that finished in the top 10 in the nation and that are looking to close this great campaign on a high note.
Penn State seems to have an advantage, not only because of their good defensive performance, but also because they are experts on stopping the ground attack, precisely Utah’s forte.
However, the Utes’ offense is much more powerful than their opponent’s, and Cameron Rising can make the difference if the team is not able to implement its ground attack. In addition, it is highly unlikely that Utah will lose two consecutive Rose Bowls.
Prediction: Utah to win.
