It’s the Granddaddy of them all, as Penn State is set to face Utah in the Rose Bowl on Monday, Jan. 2. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET while airing on ESPN. This game is set as a pick’em point with the total set at 53. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Penn State vs. Utah prediction for the Rose Bowl below.
Rose Bowl Odds: Penn State vs. Utah
- Spread: pick’em
- Total: 53
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. New to FanDuel? Check out our FanDuel Sportsbook Review to find out how to redeem a $1,000 risk-free bet!
Game Info
- Date: Monday, Jan. 2
- Time: 5 p.m. ET
- Location: Rose Bowl — Pasadena, CA
- TV: ESPN
Penn State vs. Utah Prediction
This should be an excellent football game. Utah got into a shootout with Ohio State in last year’s Rose Bowl, and the Utes ended up losing 48-45. You have to believe that revenge is on their mind this time around.
These teams are very similar while boasting solid defenses with a run-heavy approach. Utah ranks 30th in total defense while Penn State is 11th in that regard. The Utes are slightly more successful at running the football, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while holding the 11th best rushing offense in the country. The Nittany Lions rank 38th in rushing offense while averaging 4.8 yards per carry.
If you look at Penn State this season, it took care of business against the teams it was supposed to beat and lost by 13+ points in games as underdogs (Ohio State & Michigan). That’s what makes this game so intriguing…can the Nittany Lions finally get over the hump? You could argue that Utah has better quality wins this season after beating USC twice, but the Utes also dropped a pair of conference games to Oregon and UCLA.
Utah enters this game with plenty of momentum following a 47-24 win over USC in the Pac-12 Championship, and they should use that tailwind to pull out a close victory in a back-and-forth Rose Bowl that lives up to the hype.
The Pick: Utah pick’em | -110 at FanDuel Sportsbook