2022 Utah Utes Team Futures Odds, Picks, and Preview: National Championship, Win Total, and Playoff Predictions

After a dominant Pac-12 Championship win over the Oregon Ducks, the Utah Utes will look to build on their success from 2021 and repeat as conference winners. Check out Utah’s futures odds, picks, and preview for the upcoming season.

Quarterback Cameron Rising will return for Utah, as will leading rusher Tavion Thomas. Unfortunately, the Utes will have to defend their title without leading tacklers Devin Lloyd and Nephi Sewell. Both players left for the NFL.

Additionally, head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Caleb Williams left for the Pac-12, making the USC Trojans the early favorites to win the conference.

Here’s our 2022 college football season preview for the Utah Utes, with a look at the team’s futures markets and our top picks (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Utah's 2022 Futures Odds

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Utah 2022 Picks

To win National Championship (+8000) ?To win Pac-12 (+300) ???Over 8.5 regular-season wins (-140) ????To win 10-plus regular-season games (+200) ???

To Win National Championship (+8000)

No Pac-12 team has won a national championship in the playoff era. Further, only Oregon and Washington have ever qualified for the playoffs. Oregon needed a first-round quarterback and Heisman winner to get there in 2014-15, and Washington needed a star-studded secondary to get there in 2016-17. The Utah Utes will have neither of those things.

I doubt the committee will give any team from the Pac-12 a playoff spot this season. It's shown nothing but disrespect for the conference lately, and given its impending demise, the committee has no reason to change course. Just two Pac-12 programs have finished the year as top-10 teams since Washington’s playoff appearance in 2016-17.

But if you really must bet on a Pac-12 team to win the title, you could do much worse than Utah. Rising and Tavion Thomas will provide a stable, balanced offensive attack that could compensate for some defensive mistakes. But remember, the Utes are a +8000 long shot for a reason.

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To Win Pac-12 (+300)

Oddsmakers have this as a three-way race between the Utes, Ducks, and Trojans. USC is favored across all major books with odds ranging from +150 to +210. But Utah slots in as a unanimous second with odds ranging from +250 to a solid +300. Given its recent success, it’s fair to expect another strong year from Utah.

The Utes’ solid offensive play carried them to a first-ever Pac-12 win last season. They ranked seventh in Football Outsiders’ offensive rating, and they even finished seventh overall in net drive efficiency despite their 21st-rated defense. That said, Rising and Thomas will have to step up to compensate for a transitioning defense. The Utes are projected to start seven or eight sophomores and a freshman on that side of the ball. 

The Utes rank 13th in ESPN’s preseason poll. They're first among Pac-12 teams, of which only one other (Oregon) is ranked. Utah is well-positioned to make another run for the conference title, but there’s an added wrinkle to Pac-12 play this season.

The Pac-12 abolished divisions this season. That means the two top teams in winning percentage will face each other in the championship game. The Utes had the benefit of having to beat out only their mid-pack divisional opponents to earn a guaranteed bid last season, but they won’t have that luxury now. Still, they’re a decent value bet to repeat because oddsmakers know the public wants to bet on Riley and USC. 

Over 8.5 Regular-Season Wins (-140)

The Utes have four opponents that concern me: Florida, Oregon, UCLA, and USC. They’ll have to play the Gators, Ducks, and Bruins on the road, but they’ll get the benefit of facing USC at home in Salt Lake City. That said, the Utes could lose all but one of those games and still cash this future. 

I have little faith in most of Utah’s competition. No other Pac-12 team finished inside the top 20 of Football Outsiders’ net drive ratings. UCLA finished second in the conference at 23rd. Arizona State finished third at 35th, then Oregon at 38th, and Washington State at 49th. Non-conference opponent San Diego State ranked 53rd, but the loss of punter Matt Araiza will hold it back significantly.

The Utes have the talent to win 10 or 11 regular-season games. Their range of outcomes is probably a record of 8-4 to one of 11-1, which is why DraftKings Sportsbook has the total set at 9. While you’d get better odds by playing that number, I’d rather make the safer play. It’s a long season, and you can’t prevent injuries or the occasional road implosion.

To Win 10-Plus Regular-Season Games (+200)

Utah went 9-3 in the regular season last year, but it lost to a pair of non-conference opponents. The Utes fell to Bringham Young in Provo and to San Diego State on the road, too, but they nearly ran the table in conference play at 8-1. They’ll swap the Cougars for the Gators this year, which is tough, but an Araiza-less San Diego State team is much less scary.

The Utes can afford just two losses to cash this future. Fortunately, Florida doesn't look great, so Utah could reasonably enter conference play with a 3-0 record. That would give it the breathing room to lose to two of Oregon, UCLA, and USC. Still, it might be smart to split a unit on Utah’s normal win total and this teased-up number at +200.

Where to Bet on Utah Futures

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel SportsbookCaesars SportsbookDraftKings SportsbookPointsBetBetMGM

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Utah 2022 odds, picks, and preview made on 7/18/2022 at 8:43 p.m. ET