:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71816369/usa_today_19709341.0.jpg "Rose Bowl picks: Penn State-Utah betting splits for spread, over/under, ML")
The New Year's Six bowl games continue on Monday as the No. 11 Penn State Nittany Lions will meet the No. 8 Utah Utes in the Rose Bowl at 5 p.m. ET. The game will take place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA, and will air on ESPN.
Penn State quietly posted a 10-win campaign this season but once again couldn't clear the Ohio State and Michigan hurdles in the Big Ten East. Their ceiling as a contender was capped but the Rose Bowl isn't a bad consolation prize. Meanwhile, Utah successfully defended their Pac-12 title with a 10-win season of their own and bulldozed USC in the league championship game to make it back to Pasadena. Even with the likes of USC, Oregon, and even UCLA grabbing the spotlight at various points this season, the Utes still proved to be the class of the west coast.
Before both of these teams do battle in the Rose Bowl, we'll go over the betting splits courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook and see how the public wagered on this matchup.
Betting splits for Penn State vs. Utah
Utah Pick 'em: 61% of action, 61% of bets
Penn State Pick 'em: 39% of action, 39% of bets
The oddsmakers have this game as a virtual toss up on the spread and the public is siding with the Utes here. It's hard to go against an experienced program that has won back-to-back conference titles and played in this very game a year ago.
Over 53: 77% of action, 73% of bets
Under 53: 23% of action, 27% of bets
The public is fully locked in on the over cashing in Pasadena on Monday. These aren't the sexiest of offenses, but both are led by experienced quarterbacks who can make plays when it matters. 53 is a low enough bar for them to clear and consider that Utah was involved in a wild shootout against Ohio State in this very game just a year ago.
Utah ML (-110): 52% of action, 54% of bets
Penn State ML (-110): 48% of action, 46% of bets
Again, the public is on Utah in this virtual toss up and it's understandable to trust the consistency of a Kyle Whittingham coached team. Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford can be underwhelming at times and if they fall behind early, they'll have an uphill climb.