Penn State vs Utah Game Info
2022 NCAA College Football Game – Rose Bowl
No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions (10-2) vs .'No. 8 Utah Utes (10-3)
Date:'Monday, Jan. 2, 2022
Time:'5 p.m. ET
Venue:'Rose Bowl – Pasadena, CA
Coverage:'ESPN
The 2022 NCAA college football bowl game matchups have been revealed, including the annual Rose Bowl. This year's event will feature the No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions battling it out with the No. 8 Utah Utes.
Penn State closed out the regular season on a roll, capping a four-game win streak with a 35-16 effort against Michigan State. Utah also has a ton of momentum from its last appearance after stomping on ranked USC, 47-24, to take home the Pac-12 Championship.
Can Penn State win its first Rose Bowl since 1995? Or will Utah manage to win in Pasadena after coming up short against Ohio State nearly one year to the date?
Penn State vs Utah Odds & Spread
Moneyline:'PSU: (+115) | UTAH: (-138)
Spread:'PSU: +2.5 (-110) | UTAH: -2.5 (-110)
Total:'51.5 -'Over: (-118) | Under: (-104)
Utah enters this contest as a slight favorite on the spread and moneyline. This Rose Bowl clash also features a total of 51.5, which is in the middle of the pack of this year's bowl games.
Penn State vs Utah Prediction & Pick
It's hard to bet against Utah, especially after such an impressive performance to take home the Pac-12 Championship. The Utes absolutely brutalized the Trojans to the tune of 533 total yards, picking up six offensive touchdowns along the way.
Penn State might have some momentum, but three of the four wins over its successful run have come against sub-.500 opponents. That's not exactly inspiring considering how the Nittany Lions are 0-2 against ranked competition this season, losing by double digits both times.
Although Penn State's defense is solid, it won't be a match for a Utah team that's averaged 42.3 points over the last three games. The Utes are also hungry after last year's Rose Bowl loss, only giving them more incentive to get the job done next month.
Final Score Prediction:'Utah: 38 | Penn State: 28
Penn State vs Utah Betting Trends
– Penn State is 0-6 straight up in its last six games played in January.
– Utah is 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in its last five games.
– The total has hit the over in five of Penn State's last six games against the Pac-12.
– The total has hit the under in four of Utah's last six games.
Penn State vs Utah Best Bet
A total of 51.5 points seems modest for the type of numbers that both teams can put up. Both Penn State and Utah own top-20 offenses this season, combining for 73.1 PPG. They shouldn't have any issue continuing that trend, especially after the Nittany Lions have averaged 41.3 points in their last four games, whereas the Utes have scored 42 or more in five of their last seven.
After Utah was involved in a 48-45 shootout in las t year's Rose Bowl, I'm expecting more of the same this time around.