Two of the best teams in the Pac-12 will face each other on Saturday afternoon when the 8^th-ranked Oregon Ducks travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to face the 13^th-ranked Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in week 9 of the college football season with the game airing nationally at 3:30 PM ET on Fox.

The Oregon Ducks enter this game ranked 8^th in the AP Poll and 9^th in the Coaches Poll with a record of 6-1 following a 38-24 win at home against the Washington State Cougars while failing to cover the 19.5-point spread as a home favorite in week 8 of the college football season. Oregon scored 38 points while compiling a total of 540 yards offensively which included 293 passing yards and 247 rushing yards while allowing 24 points and 495 total yards defensively which included 438 passing yards and 57 rushing yards. 

Bo Nix led the team in passing, completing 18 of 25 attempts for 293 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for four yards and a touchdown on two attempts. Bucky Irving led the team in rushing with 15 carries for 129 yards and two touchdowns while adding three receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown. Tez Johnson led the team in receiving, catching six of seven targets for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Utah enters this game ranked 13^th in the AP Poll and 13^th in the Coaches Poll with a record of 6-1 following a 34-32 win on the road against the USC Trojans while covering the 7.5-point spread as a road underdog by winning the game outright in week 8 of the college football season. The Utes scored 34 points while compiling a total of 483 yards offensively which included 235 passing yards and 248 rushing yards while allowing 32 points and 401 total yards defensively which included 256 passing yards and 145 rushing yards. 

Bryson Barnes led the team in passing, completing 14 of 23 attempts for 235 yards with three touchdowns and an interception while rushing for 57 yards and a touchdown on ten attempts. Ja’Quinden Jackson led the team in rushing with 26 carries for 117 yards. Sione Vaki led the team in receiving, catching all five targets for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

BookMaker has the Oregon Ducks listed as 6.5-point favorites on the road against the Utah Utes on Saturday afternoon in week 9 of the college football season. Oregon has won six of the last ten while Utah has won two of the last three games in the series. Both teams are 5-5 ATS in the last ten while the Utes are 2-1 ATS in the last three meetings. The Oregon Ducks are 5-1-1 ATS overall, 2-0-1 ATS on the road, 5-1 ATS as a favorite, and 2-1-1 ATS in conference games this season while the Utah Utes are 4-2-1 ATS overall, 3-1 ATS at home, 1-1 ATS as an underdog, and 3-1 ATS in conference games on the year.

Both teams are two of the top teams in the Pac-12 this season, however, Oregon has been the better team at covering the spread this season going 5-1-1 ATS overall and 5-1 ATS as a favorite while Utah is 4-2-1 ATS overall and 1-1 ATS as an underdog. I look for those trends to continue which is why I am buying the .5 point and laying the 6 points with the Oregon Ducks when they travel to face the Utah Utes in week 9 of the college football season.