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#22 Northwestern takes on #17 Utah in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl on New Year’s eve at the SDCCU Stadium in San Diego, California.
The Wildcats took the Big Ten West but were beaten by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten championship game. On the other hand, the Utes finished on top of the Pac-12 South but lost to the Washington Huskies in the conference title game.
Ending Season On A High Note
The Northwestern Wildcats brought with them a three game winning streak to the Big Ten Conference title game but they were halted by the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Wildcats hope to rebound and end their season on a high note by winning the Holiday Bowl. Northwestern is 3-9 SU and 6-6 ATS in bowl games.
Clayton Thorson completed 60.6% of his passes for a total of 2,942 passing yards with 15 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Thorson will have to protect the ball better if the Wildcats are to upset the Utes. Isaiah Browser led the team in rushing with 796 yards on the ground and six touchdowns scored. Flynn Nagel has 66 catches for 759 yards and two touchdowns.
Northwestern vs Utah 12/31/18
Moneyline Odds: Northwestern +245, Utah -290
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/26/18
Finished Their Season Strong
The Utah Utes finished their season strong, taking seven out of their last nine games to win the Pac-12 South. Like their opponents, they hope to close their campaign on a positive note. A win on New Year’s eve will give the Utes a sixth straight bowl game victory. Utah is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in their last five bowl games played.
Tyler Huntley threw for 1,788 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 64.1% of his passes. Zach Moss rushed for 1,096 yards with a total of 11 touchdowns scored. Britain Covey led the team with 66 catches and a total of 637 receiving yards with one touchdown. However, Covey tore his ACL in their game against Washington and won’t be playing in this contest.
Who Wins?
Northwestern was 8-5 SU during the regular season. The Wildcats are 3-2 SU in their last five games played. Utah had a 9-4 SU record during the regular season. The Utes are 3-2 SU in their last five games played.
Utah has the best red zone defense in the nation, allowing opponents to convert just 63.9% of their trips inside the Utah 20. The Utes also have the 4th best rush defense in college football and they also have the 24th best defense against the pass. On the other hand, Northwestern’s scoring offense is just ranked 107th and they are going to struggle to score against the Utes. I think Utah smothers Northwestern with their defense. I’m going to go with the Utes here because of their defense.
We’re picking the Utah Utes to beat the Northwestern Wildcats on 12/21/18
Other Bets To Make
Northwestern was 6-6-1 ATS in 13 games played during the season. The Wildcats are 2-2-1 ATS in their last five games played. Utah had a 7-6 ATS record during the regular season. The Utes are 2-3 ATS in their last five games played.
Northwestern vs Utah 12/31/18
Spread Odds: Northwestern +7 (-102), Utah -7 (-118)
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/26/18
Northwestern is 0-3-1 ATS in their last four non-conference games played. The Utes are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against Big Ten teams. Utah is 4-1 ATS in their last five bowl games played. The Utes are 6- 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as favorites. I like the Utes to cover the one touchdown spread here.
Prediction: Utah -7
The under was 7-6 in Northwestern’s 13 games this season. The total has gone under in three out of the last four games played by the Wildcats. The O/U was an even 6-6 in Utah’s games this season. The total has gone over in three out of the last five games of the Utes.
Northwestern vs Utah 12/31/18
Over/Under Odds: Over 46 -110, Under 46 -110
Odds from betonline.ag as of 12/26/18
The under is 4-1 in Northwestern’s last five bowl games played. The total has also gone under in five out of the Wildcats’ last seven games played. The under is also 4-1 in Utah’s last five games against Big Ten teams and the total has gone under in four out of the Utes’ last five games at a neutral venue.
Prediction: Under 46
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