Las Vegas Bowl: Utah vs Northwestern Odds, and Picks (Dec 23)

• Utah went 4-4 after starting 4-0, but bounced back against Colorado in their finale.
• Northwestern stunned many, after climbing from the cellar to reach bowl eligibility.
• These two teams last met on December 31, 2018, in a game Northwestern won 31-20.

College football has made it to bowl game season! Let’s preview the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl between the Utah Utes and the Northwestern Wildcats. The Wildcats are red-hot and will aim for another surprise win.

How to Watch

• ABC

Preview

Utah started this season out 6-1, climbing to as high as #10 in the country. They cooled off a bit down the stretch, going 2-3 over their last five games. All three of those losses came against ranked teams, so they will have a chance to bounce back against a less intimidating opponent in this bowl game. That being said, Utah lost QB Bryson Barnes and most of their roster to the transfer portal, which complicates things here.

Northwestern made major strides as a program this season in their first year under new head coach David Braun. After going 1-11 last season and ranking among the very bottom of all FBS teams, the Wildcats surged to a 7-5 record and bowl eligibility this year. They started the season slow but heated up as it progressed, especially on offense. They enter this game with three straight wins and lots of momentum.

Prediction

This is an interesting matchup to analyze. Without any opt-outs, the Utes would probably overwhelm the Wildcats, despite their hot play down the stretch, That being said, Utah lost over a dozen players to the transfer portal, which makes this game much less certain. I still think they are the better team, but I would be pretty surprised to see them run away with this one. I see this being very close, with Utah winning it.

NCAAF Picks:

• Utah 23, Northwestern 20 ()