Opening 2022 USC vs Utah Pac-12 Championship Game Odds – Trojans 2.5-Point Favorites in Vegas

• USC has opened as a 2.5-point neutral-site favorite against Utah for the Pac-12 Championship
• The Trojans look for a spot in the College Football Playoff, while the Utes want a Rose Bowl berth
• Read below for the opening USC vs Utah odds and line-movement prediction

USC is listed as a 2.5-point favorite against Utah as the two teams get ready for another matchup on Friday night in the Pac-12 title game. Could this be another wild primetime affair?

Let’s look at the opening Utah vs USC odds and analyze which direction the line figures to move.

Opening USC vs Utah Odds

Odds as of November 27th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Use this DraftKings Sportsbook promo code to bet on the game.

As 2.5-point favorites, the Trojans expects quite a fight on Friday night from Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah won the previous matchup in mid-October. That was a 43-42 fantastic fish as QB Cameron Rising punched in a two-point conversion to get the home win for Utah.

Now, the Trojans are 8-4 ATS, while the Utes are 7-5. USC earned an emphatic cover with a 11-point win over 15th ranked Notre Dame on Saturday night.

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USC Is a Slight Neutral-Site Favorite

USC holds its destiny in its hands when it comes to a spot in a New Year’s Day Bowl and a college football playoff spot at the same time. Oddsmakers see the Trojans around +200 in the Pac-12 Conference odds, where Utah sits at +210.

When it comes to the National Championship odds, USC was at +1400 and so was TCU. With the emphatic home loss by Ohio State to Michigan, both teams should move up this week.

Last week’s game against Notre Dame saw USC stay mostly in control. Notre Dame never got too close in the second half as USC rode Caleb Williams’ arms and legs to a berth in the Pac-12 Conference Championship game.

USC getting a second crack at Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game for a trip to the College Football Playoff rocks.

— Nathan Ackerman (@NathanAckerman_) November 27, 2022

The Trojans and their motivations will be interesting this week. There is everything on a silver platter for USC. Oregon fumbled their chances several times along the way and USC gets a second chance at Utah. Many believe the Trojans should have won the first meeting.

With the game at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, does USC have a bit more of an advantage here? Does the experience of Utah from last year help? Or does Caleb Williams make none of that matter?

Can Utah Do It Again?

Head coach Kyle Whittingham has to feel his team has a good chance against USC on Friday night. After all, they played one of the games of the year to defeat USC in October. Then, Utah found a way back into the Pac-12 Conference Championship after a rather fortuitous series of events.

Good morning to fans of the University of Utah football team, and only fans of the University of Utah football team.

Four straight appearances in the Pac12 Title Game….. amazing.

— Clem H. Fandango (@HighlightsUte) November 27, 2022

Honestly, Utah won a three-way tiebreaker based on strength-of-schedule.  Think about it. All these things had to happen in order for the Utes to get to this point.

1. Utah beats Colorado
2. Oregon St beats Oregon
3. Washington beats Wazzu
4. UCLA beats CAL

Now, there are a few snags in Utah’s chances of defending their Pac-12 crown. The biggest one lies with Rising. He is not 100%. While the injuries are minor, the short turnaround this week does not help matters.

Consequently, some may think 2.5 points is too low as some early numbers suggested something in the 4 to 6-point range. Therefore, an “adjustment” is still possible given what may happen. Keep an eye on Rising during the week in practice. Expect Whittingham and Utah to play things coy and rightfully so.

Can Utah play an error-free game on Friday night while causing a mistake or two from USC? That is the big question. It is possible as the Utes have done it once before.

USC vs Utah Expected Line Movement and Early Prediction

So, the early ATS money is split and bettors, moneyline wise, are on the Trojans side. There is a chance this line moves a couple points toward USC given Rising’s health and how good Williams looked Saturday. Finally, expect USC to cover on Friday night as they eye a bigger prize this season.