Texas Tech vs. Utah Picks for Big 12 Showdown

Coy Eakin averages 12.7 yards per reception this season with four touchdowns for the Red Raiders - BYU Texas Tech Picks

Get ready for an early local kick off in Utah, as the No. 16 ranked Utes host the No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders at noon eastern, but 10:00 a.m. in Salt Lake City and we’ve got our favorite picks. Both of these top 25 Big 12 teams bring perfect records into their opening conference matchup. In fact, right now Utah is the betting favorite to win the conference at BetOnline priced at +285, while Texas Tech is second at +350. The next on the list is the TCU Horned Frogs at +700.

Point being, whoever wins this game has a very strong chance of making (and winning) the Big 12 Conference Championship. All eyes will be on FOX as these two go to war early Saturday morning.

Editor’s Note: Lines have shifted a bit, but we are still good to go. Heavy lean with the Red Raiders outright as well.

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#17 Texas Tech Red Raiders vs. #16 Utah Utes NCAA Football Insights

Behren Morton and Texas Tech go on the road in their first Big 12 battle

Both squads went perfect in non-conference play, and all six combined wins were impressive in their own right. The Red Raiders opened things up by beating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 67-7. They followed that up with a 62-14 win over Kent State of the MAC, and then beat the Oregon State Beavers 45-14 when they came to town. The offense is insane, the defense has held strong, but now the whole team has to leave Lubbock and head into Utah.

The Utes have actually played two games on the road already, only getting to beat up on Cal Poly at home, winning 63-9. They took down the UCLA Bruins 43-10 led by Nico “I forgot how to play football” Iamaleava. And last weekend they went to Laramie and beat the Wyoming Cowboys 31-6. Things did not get weird in Laramie like normal, but that may just be for Mountain West basketball.

Devon Dampier looks very comfortable, throwing for 628 yards and seven touchdowns with zero interceptions while completing 73% of his passes. Plus he’s the Utes’ leading rusher with 198 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Conference play is here, and both teams know what’s at stake, so expect a fantastic contest.

Matchup Information – Texas Tech vs. Utah – September 20

Venue & Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium (Salt Lake City, UT)
Date: Saturday, September 20, 2025
Kick Off: 12:00 p.m. Eastern
Broadcast: FOX

Texas Tech vs. Utah Betting Odds

Odds are courtesy of BetOnline, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of September 20, 2025 at 8:40 a.m. eastern. Sign up today with Promo Code BNBOL55 for a 55% deposit bonus.

Spread

Texas Tech +3.5 (-114)
Utah -3.5 (-106)

Moneyline

Texas Tech +149
Utah -170

Total

Over 58 (-110)
Under 58 (-110)

Behren Morton is playing as good as any quarterback in the country. Morton ranks No. 9 in passing yards (923), has a completion percentage just north of 70, and is tied with Taylen Green with 11 passing touchdowns to lead the country. However Morton has just one pick while Green has two. I took a piece of him to win the Heisman at +4000. Just a small piece. And it’s probably just by Big 12 bias getting in the way of my critical thinking.

These are two of the best quarterbacks in the conference for sure, and we’ve see these defenses look VERY good through three weeks. Sure, they haven’t quite seen the best offenses, but Utah held Nico and the Bruins to just 10 points, while the Red Raiders held Oregon State and Maalik Murphy to just two touchdowns. I think the offenses might come down to Earth in this Big 12 opener.

#17 Texas Tech vs. #16 Utah NCAA Football Picks and Predictions

Devon Dampier and Utah take on Texas Tech this Saturday

Texas Tech vs. Utah Prediction: Texas Tech Wins Outright, Under 58

Best Bet: Texas Tech/Utah Under 58 (-110) BetOnline

It’s hard to fade these offenses. Texas Tech is second in the nation scoring over 53 points per game, while Utah is No. 23 putting up 37. Both are top 11 in yards per game, producing over 500 each (550 for Texas Tech). But defensively both sides are just as good.

Texas Tech is No. 19 in scoring defense, allowing 14 points per game while Utah is third in the country giving up less than 10. In terms of total yardage, both defenses are inside the top 15, keeping teams under 250 yards. Given that this is the first conference game for both teams, I see them focusing on the defensive side of things, especially the hosts.

I’m not sure that Utah will want to get into a shootout with the Red Raiders. Sure they can try, but the Utes rely plenty on Dampier’s legs, while Texas Tech loves to air it out for big plays. Utah has a top 20 secondary unit, allowing just 5.4 yards per pass (No. 20), only 122 passing yards per game (No. 9), and rank No. 7 in opponent completion percentage (51.1%).

This total is just a little too high for me, as I’m not sure the Utah defense (or offense) will allow either team to get to 30. But I do think the Red Raiders find a way to win.

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#17 Texas Tech vs. #16 Utah Picks and Predictions: Big 12 Battle in Salt Lake City