Utah Utes vs. Stanford Cardinal: Betting Odds, Analysis, College Football Pick

The Utah Utes will look to snap a two-game skid when they visit the Stanford Cardinal in a Pac-12 matchup on Saturday.

The Utes are coming off a 51-27 home loss to the Oregon Ducks as 9.5-point underdogs, while the Cardinal knows how that feels after being on the wrong end of a 45-16 rout in Eugene two weeks ago before their bye as a seven-point dog.

Point spread: Cardinal opened as 7.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 39.1-32.6 Cardinal

Why the Utah Utes can cover the spread

Utah is 3-0 against the spread in its last three road games vs. Pac-12 opponents and had covered its previous four games overall before getting blown out by the Ducks at home last week. The Utes were actually one of the best teams in the country against the number at 7-1 before losing badly against Oregon, as their previous five games were all decided by six points or fewer.

Playing a defensive-minded Stanford team favors Utah’s style of play, with the under cashing in the team’s previous six games and the Utes going 5-1 straight up and ATS during that stretch.

Why the Stanford Cardinal can cover the spread

Three of the Cardinal’s four losses have come on the road this year, and they are 13-1 SU in their past 14 home games against conference foes. The exception came in a 13-10 loss to the USC Trojans in their second game of the season as a three-point favorite. Since then, Stanford has gone 3-0 at home with a 2-0-1 mark vs. the line.

This is the team’s last home game before wrapping up the schedule with trips to California and UCLA, so you can bet the Cardinal will be fired up to finish things up on a positive note at Stanford Stadium before hitting the road.

Smart Pick

Stanford has the advantage of a week off to prepare for Utah, which should make a big difference here. The Cardinal are 4-1 ATS in their past five home games after a bye and also 4-1-1 vs. the line in their last six at home against Pac-12 teams.

The Cardinal have had enough time to recover from the loss at Oregon, while the Utes are not as fortunate after losing to the Ducks last Saturday and must try to regroup quickly for this road game.

There is some extra motivation for Stanford too, as the team is trying to become bowl eligible with one more victory, something Utah has already accomplished.

Betting Trends

• Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last five games
• Stanford is 21-2 SU in its last 23 games at home

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark; all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.