Nebraska vs. #15 Utah Picks and Predictions: Las Vegas Bowl
Written by: Nate Hornung
Published: Wed Dec 31, 2025, 11:00 am ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
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The unranked Nebraska Cornhuskers head to Sin City to take on the No. 15 ranked Utah Utes in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium. Utah is a team that just lost their head coach, as Kyle Whittingham has accepted the job at Michigan next year. At first, I thought the Utes would rally around him leaving, but going to a better job, could Whittingham leaving be demoralizing to this program? Let's get into our favorite picks and see how this game might end up.
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Best Bet: Nebraska Team Total Under 16.5 (+119) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
*Please keep reading on why you should line shop for the hook*
Go check out what else I've got on the slate for bowl season, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. #15 Utah Utes Las Vegas Bowl Insights
Devon Dampier and Utah only lost to Texas Tech and BYU this season
Utah has hired defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley to take over the head coaching job next year and for this bowl game. Devon Dampier said he will play, which is massive for Utah. He may be missing both of his starting tackles, but regardless, he is a playmaker. As for Nebraska, that's where things get messy.
Not only is Dylan Raiola hitting the portal, but he is also injured and will not play in this game. They will also be missing running back Emmett Johnson who has declared for the NFL Draft, and right guard Rocco Spindler. TJ Lateef will be the starter, although he has had a lingering hamstring injury he is battling.
Matt Rhule is sticking around at Nebraska, but he fired both OL and DL coaches prior to this bowl, and their defensive coordinator was let go as well. Can they find a way to slow down Dampier and the Utes?
Matchup Information – Nebraska vs. Utah – December 31
- Venue & Location: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
- Date: Wednesday, December 31, 2025
- Kick Off: 3:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: ESPN
Nebraska vs. Utah Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel Sportsbook, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of December 31, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. eastern. Sign up today and get a $1,250 deposit bonus & 50 slot spins right away. Lucky Rebel offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Nebraska +14 (-107)
- Utah -14 (-113)
Moneyline
- Nebraska +415
- Utah -585
Total
- Over 51 (-110)
- Under 51 (-110)
Nebraska vs. #15 Utah Las Vegas Bowl Picks and Predictions
Matt Rhule signed an extension to stay with the Cornhuskers through 2032
Nebraska vs. Utah Prediction: Utah Wins and Covers, Under 51
Best Bet: Nebraska Team Total Under 16.5 (+119) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Do we trust this Nebraska offense? I certainly don't. Not against the Utes defensive unit. I urge you to pay -120 for the under 17.5 which is offered on a wide variety of sportsbooks. That hook could be crucial. Nebraska was held under this number in three of their last four down the stretch, failing to score 18 points against Iowa, Penn State, USC and even Minnesota. Utah has a better defense than all of those teams.
The offense clearly struggles without Raiola under center, and missing Johnson in the back field is a huge loss as well. The offense doesn't move the needle for me at all, and the offensive line is bottom 20 in sacks allowed. Utah's defense will have a hell of a time against this Cornhusker's front.
The Utes are No. 16 in the nation in points per play allowed, ranking top 25 in third down conversions allowed and top 30 in red zone scoring percentage. While they struggle to defend the run, the secondary might be the best unit in all of college football. They lead the country in opponent completion percentage, ranking top 12 in yards per pass, and top 20 in both sacks and interceptions forced. Look for the Utah defense to come alive against the Cornhuskers and help the Utes cover the spread.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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