Penn State and Utah close out their 2022 seasons in Pasadena, with both teams looking to reverse fortunes from the last time they played in the Rose Bowl.
For the Nittany Lions, that was back in 2017 when they lost to USC. As for the Utes, it was just last year that they narrowly fell to Ohio State.
One team will avenge its defeat when they once again take the picturesque field in Pasadena to begin the New Year.
Both No. 9 Penn State and No. 7 Utah have some level of momentum heading into the first-ever meeting between these programs. The Nittany Lions won their final four games handily while the Utes won their last two – including a 27-24 victory over USC in the Pac-12 Championship.
The Utes, with quarterback Cameron Rising under center, average 40 points and over 470 yards of total offense per game. Their defense limits opponents to 20.4 points per game and held the Trojans well below their scoring average in the conference title game. The two teams’ passing offenses are comparable, though Utah has a clear advantage on the ground with several capable running backs to call upon.
This is the final game of a lengthy career for sixth-year Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford, who led the offense to a 35.8-ppg scoring average. He tossed six touchdowns to just one interception on the team’s current winning streak. Clifford owes a lot to his defense, though, which allowed just 40 points over the last four games and held teams under 20 points per game for the season.
No. 11 Penn State vs. No. 8 Utah Rose Bowl Odds
Spread: Penn State +2 (-110) | Utah -2 (-118)
Moneyline: PSU (+105) | UTA (-133)
Total: 52.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-118)
Game Info: Monday, Jan. 2, 2022 | 5 p.m. ET | ESPN
Location: Rose Bowl | Pasadena, CA
Penn State Straight-Up Record: 10–2
Penn State Against the Spread Record: 8–3–1
Utah Straight-Up Record: 10–3
Utah Against the Spread Record: 8–5
Bet on Penn State-Utah at SI Sportsbook
Betting Insights
Penn State is 5–0–1 against the spread over its last six weeks, which includes the Ohio State game. The over hit in eight of 12 Nittany Lions games this season but the under cashed in two of their last three.
Utah is 4–1 against the spread in its last five games with an outright win against USC as a 2.5-point underdog to boot. The over hit more often than not for the Utes, though the under is 4–2 over the past six weeks.
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