The Stanford Cardinal take on the Utah Utes. Check out our college football odds series for our Stanford Utah prediction and pick.

The Utah Utes have a lot of players banged up, but the good news for them is that they are going through the softer part of their schedule before the big one at Oregon on Nov. 19. Utah hosted Arizona this past weekend. Now the Utes get Stanford. Both teams are in the bottom tier of the Pac-12 standings. It's exactly what Utah needed given the attrition the Utes have faced in recent weeks. Elite tight end Brant Kuithe is out for the season. Dalton Kincaid got hurt against Washington State. Running backs Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard missed the Washington State game and are far below 100 percent. Cam Rising missed the Washington State game (Oct. 27) with an injury but was able to get back to the field on Nov. 5 for the win over Arizona. He didn't throw for a lot of yards, but he didn't need to. Utah didn't put up eye-popping stats, but with so many players injured or less than fully healthy, Utah just needed to get through the game with a win and no added injuries. This game against Stanford fits the same basic profile. Utah doesn't need the style points; it just needs the victory and a chance to gather its strength (and health) for Oregon in a week.

Stanford is not the picture of health, either. Four Stanford defensive starters have been listed as questionable for this game. We'll get a much better idea about their playing statuses in the two hours before kickoff. The Cardinal are limping to the end of their season under head coach David Shaw. They just got blitzed by 38 points against the Washington State Cougars and are now in very bad shape in terms of getting a bowl bid. Shaw was quietly optimistic about his team's chances to make a bowl game this season, but it doesn't seem likely to happen. Stanford built its national reputation under Shaw and Jim Harbaugh as a physical team which had the best line play in the Pac-12. That line play has vanished in recent years, and the 2022 season has not been able to bring back that Cardinal calling card. It's a rough time for Shaw and Stanford, and one has to wonder if there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Shaw had a nine-win team in 2018, but he hasn't been able to do anything of note the past four years. It's a lean time for a coach and a program which used to be nationally relevant.

Here are the Stanford-Utah NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Stanford-Utah Odds

Stanford Cardinal: +16.5 (-112)

Utah Utes: -16.5 (-108)

Over: 66.5 (-110)

Under: 66.5 (-110)

Why Stanford Could Cover the Spread

The Cardinal will benefit from Utah having a lot of injuries and also looking ahead to the Oregon game. Utah will not max out on offense in this game, and the Utes are probably going to run the ball a lot so that they can shorten the game and have fewer offensive snaps to reduce the physical burden on their starters.

Why Utah Could Cover the Spread

It's Senior Day for the Utes, the last home game for this team. The Utes will be motivated to play great and will be able to feast on a weak Stanford defense which allowed 52 to Washington State a week ago.

Final Stanford-Utah Prediction & Pick

Utah is dealing with injuries, but so is Stanford, and Stanford just got carved up by Washington State. Utah can score 40 points even when playing less than its best.

Final Stanford-Utah Prediction & Pick: Utah -24.5