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2023 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds, Predictions, Preview

Kevin Rogers
Kevin Rogers Sports Betting Expert
15 minute read
2023 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds, Predictions, Preview
Bowl Central

The Las Vegas Bowl wrapped up on Saturday, December 23, 2023 and bettors watched Northwestern squeeze past Utah, 14-7 as 6.5-point underdogs.

Recap all the 2023 Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds, Picks, Predictions and History below and be sure to check back for the 2024 installment.

Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds

UTAH @ NWU Odds

  • Full Game
  • 1H
  • 1Q
  • 2Q
  • 3Q
  • 4Q
  • Spread
  • Total
  • Moneyline
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 -3.5 -105 -3.5 -112 -3.5 -110 -3.5 -114 -3.5 -118 -3.5 -115 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 +3.5 -115 +3.5 -108 +3.5 -110 +3.5 -106 +3.5 -110 +3.5 -115 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A o21.5 -108 o21.5 -110 o21.5 -110 o21.5 -114 o22.5 -110 o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A u21.5 -112 u21.5 -110 u21.5 -110 u21.5 -114 u22.5 -115 u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 -185 -205 -205 -200 -235 N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 +150 +170 +170 +160 +175 N/A +210  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 N/A N/A -3.5 -115 N/A N/A -3.5 -120 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 N/A N/A +3.5 -105 N/A N/A +3.5 -110 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A N/A o20.5 -105 N/A N/A o20.5 -130 o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A N/A u20.5 -115 N/A N/A u20.5 even u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A +210  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 -0.5 -110 -0.5 -112 -0.5 -110 -1.5 +102 -1.5 -110 +1.5 -325 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 +0.5 -120 +0.5 -108 +0.5 -120 +1.5 -128 +1.5 -121 -1.5 +240 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A o9.5 -115 o9.5 -115 o8.5 -114 o9.5 -120 o9.5 -115 o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A u9.5 -105 u9.5 -115 u8.5 -112 u9.5 -108 u9.5 -115 u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 -175 -192 -170 -162 -190 N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 +135 +160 +140 +126 +143 N/A +210  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 N/A -2.5 -120 N/A -2.5 -118 N/A -0.5 -110 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 N/A +2.5 -110 N/A +2.5 -106 N/A +0.5 -115 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A o3.5 -110 N/A o6.5 -144 N/A o10.5 -125 o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A u3.5 -120 N/A u6.5 +110 N/A u10.5 even u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 N/A N/A N/A -184 N/A N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 N/A N/A N/A +142 N/A N/A +210  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A -1.5 +102 N/A -0.5 -105 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A +1.5 -128 N/A +0.5 -125 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A o2.5 -114 N/A o7.5 even o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A u2.5 -114 N/A u7.5 -125 u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 N/A N/A N/A -170 N/A N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 N/A N/A N/A +132 N/A N/A +210  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-9.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A -1.5 -106 N/A -0.5 -110 -6.5 -120  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+9.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A +1.5 -118 N/A +0.5 -115 +6.5 -102  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
o42.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A o10.5 -106 N/A o10.5 +105 o43.5 -115  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
u42.5 -110 N/A N/A N/A u10.5 -118 N/A u10.5 -135 u43.5 -105  
Final
Utah Utes 231 Utah
-350 N/A N/A N/A -172 N/A N/A -260  
Northwestern Wildcats 232 Northwestern
+275 N/A N/A N/A +134 N/A N/A +210  
  • Opening point spread: Utah -8.5
  • Opening moneyline: Utah -335/Northwestern +260
  • Opening total: Over/Under 42.5 points scored
  • Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 23 (ABC)

UPDATE 6:30 P.M. ET SATURDAY, DEC. 23: An hour before kickoff, BetMGM Nevada has the Utes as 7-point favorites. Utah opened 9.5 Dec. 4, was down to -6.5 Dec. 5 and reached a low of -6 Thursday. Today brought moves to -6.5/-7 at BetMGM's Las Vegas operations.

"Tickets are really close, a few more on Utah. Money is 2/1 Utah," BetMGM Nevada's Scott Shelton said. "On the moneyline, it's 6/1 tickets Northwestern, but 3/1 money Utah."

Shelton noted that moneyline action includes a significant six-figure Utah -275 play, to win low six figures.

"That one bet is totally skewing it," Shelton said.

The total opened at 42.5, hit a low of 40.5 Dec. 21 and is now at 43 (Over -115). Tickets are 1.5/1 and money 6/1 on the Over, thanks largely to bets of $57,500 and $23,000 on Over 43.

"We're gonna need Northwestern and Under. Northwestern outright would be best," Shelton said.

UPDATE 2:30 P.M. ET WEDNESDAY, DEC. 20: The Las Vegas Bowl has one of the more attractive matchups among early postseason games. DraftKings opened Utah -8.5 and quickly fell back to -7 on Dec. 4. Friday brought a move to Utes -6.5.

Spread tickets are running 2/1 Utah, while spread money is 2/1 on underdog Northwestern. The Utes have a much longer transfer-portal/opt-out/injuries list than the Wildcats.

The total opened at 42.5 and has been pinned to 41.5 since Dec. 5. Tickets are running 2.5/1 on the Over, while money is almost dead even, with a slight Under lean.

UPDATE 11 P.M. ET FRIDAY, DEC. 8: Considering Utah didn't have starting QB Cameron Rising (ACL) all year, finishing 8-4 SU/6-5-1 ATS wasn't too bad. The Utes capped the season with a 23-17 home win vs. Colorado, failing to cover as healthy 22.5-point favorites.

Northwestern (7-5 SU/8-4 ATS) put together a bowl-worthy season, after coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired during the summer following a hazing investigation of the program.

In Week 13, the Wildcats edged Illinois 45-43 catching 5.5 points on the road. Northwestern enters the Las Vegas Bowl on streaks of 3-0 SU and 6-0 ATS.

Utah's top two QBS not named Cameron Rising – Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson – are in the transfer portal. But Barnes has said he'll play for the Utes in Vegas.

Caesars opened Utah -8.5 on Dec. 4 and quickly dropped down to -7, then went to -6.5 on Dec. 5. The Utes rebounded to -7 on Dec. 7. The total went from 42.5 to 41.5 on Dec. 4, then to 42 on Dec. 5.

Click here for Vegas Insider senior reporter Patrick Everson's full College Football Bowl Odds: Spreads, Lines, Trends for Every Bowl Game.

For our latest NFL odds, come check out our best NFL betting sites page to make you take advantage of lucrative bonus offers!

Las Vegas Bowl Pick, Prediction

Action Network college football betting expert Collin Wilson offers this prediction:

One key to confidence pools is minimizing risk where underdogs could win outright. Utah fell short of all Pac-12 goals and finds itself heading into the Las Vegas Bowl with a dozen players in the transfer portal.

The good news is quarterback Cam Rising is back in 2024; the bad news is depth at quarterback for next season.

Former pig farmer Bryson Barnes is in the transfer portal but expects to play in this game. Like most other quarterbacks, if Barnes commits to another school, there's no expectation that he'll play in the Las Vegas Bowl.

The opposite is true for Northwestern, a team that hired David Braun as a defensive coordinator and fast-tracked to head coach amid the hazing scandal that led to the firing of longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald.

The Wildcats were covering machines all season thanks to a top-20 rank in Offensive Finishing Drives, an area where Utah struggled all season.

Pick: Northwestern +6.5

For more college football picks, check out Action Network's College Football Bowl Confidence Pool Rankings: Collin Wilson’s Picks for All 2023 Bowl Games.

Las Vegas Bowl Betting Resources

  • Date: Saturday, December 23, 2023
  • TV-Time: ABC, 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Venue: Allegiant Stadium
  • Location: Las Vegas, Nevada

Las Vegas Bowl History

Las Vegas Bowl Logo

The Las Vegas bowl began in 1992, and the matchup currently features schools from the Pac-12 and either the SEC or Big Ten. This game used to take place at Sam Boyd Stadium through the 2019 game. In 2021, the game moved to Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Brigham Young has made the most appearances in this bowl (6), while Utah and Boise State each own four victories in this bowl. 

Favorites have won four of the last five matchups, while the losing team has scored 13 points or less in each of the past four installments.

Washington ended the Pac-12's brief two-game skid in this bowl with a 38-7 blowout of Boise State in 2019, marking the first loss for the Broncos in five appearances at the Las Vegas Bowl.

In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic wiped out the Las Vegas Bowl. The game returned Dec. 30, 2021, with Wisconsin of the Big Ten facing Arizona State of the Pac-12. It was a low-scoring game, the third consecutive Las Vegas Bowl to hit the 'under', as the Badgers won 20-13.

Unders are riding a five-game streak at the Las Vegas Bowl as Northwestern edged Utah, 14-7 in 2023. It also marked the first time as underdog won this bowl outright since 2017.

Las Vegas Bowl Betting History

YearMatchupSpread/TotalsATS Result
2023Northwestern 14 Utah 7Utah -6.5, 43.5Underdog-Under
2022Oregon State 30 Florida 3Oregon State -7.5, 51.5Favorite-Under
2021Wisconsin 20 Arizona State 13Wisconsin -7.5, 42Underdog-Under
2020---
2019Washington 38 Boise State 7Washington -3.5, 48Favorite-Under
2018Fresno State 31 Arizona State 20Fresno State -6, 54.5Favorite-Under
2017Boise State 38 Oregon 28Oregon -7, 62.5Underdog-Over
2016San Diego State 34 Houston 10Houston -4.5, 51Underdog-Under
2015Utah 35 BYU 28Utah -2.5, 49.5Favorite-Over
2014Utah 45 Colorado State 10Utah -3, 58Favorite-Under
2013USC 45 Fresno State 20USC -5, 66Favorite-Under
2012Boise State 28 Washington 26Boise State -4.5, 44Underdog-Over
2011Boise State 56 Arizona State 24Boise State -14, 65Favorite-Over
2010Boise State 26 Utah 3Boise State -16.5, 58Favorite-Under
2009BYU 44 Oregon State 20BYU -2.5, 58Favorite-Over
2008Arizona 31 BYU 21Arizona -3, 62Favorite-Under
2007BYU 17 UCLA 16BYU -6.5, 46.5Underdog-Under
2006BYU 38 Oregon 8BYU -3.5, 62Favorite-Under
2005California 35 BYU 28California -8, 58.5Underdog-Over
2004Wyoming 24 UCLA 21UCLA -12.5, 59Underdog-Under
2003Oregon State 55 New Mexico 14Oregon State -2.5, 51.5Favorite-Over
2002UCLA 27 New Mexico 13UCLA -9.5, 49Favorite-Under
2001Utah 10 USC 6USC -3.5, 43.5Underdog-Under
2000UNLV 31 Arkansas 14UNLV -1Favorite
1999Utah 17 Fresno State 16Utah -5Underdog
1998North Carolina 20 San Diego State 13North Carolina -7Push
1997Oregon 41 Air Force 13--
1996Nevada 18 Ball State 15--
1995Toledo 40 Nevada 37 (OT)--
1994UNLV 52 Central Michigan 24--
1993Utah State 42 Ball State 33--
1992Bowling Green 35 Nevada 34--

College Football Bowl Betting Resources

College Football Playoff Odds: Lines, Spreads, Betting Trends for Semifinal Games

College Football Playoff odds for the semifinals are on the board and getting attention, even as debate rages over the four participants. Michigan nabbed the No. 1 ranking and a meeting with No. 4 Alabama in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. No. 2 Washington then faces No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl.

Here’s everything you need to know about College Football Playoff odds for the semis: opening lines, spreads and betting trends for each game, as multiple oddsmakers provide insights on CFP odds and action. Check back regularly for updates and use our new ESPN BET bonus code VIBONUS to get the most out of your action.

College Football Playoff Odds for Semifinals

Kevin Rogers

Kevin Rogers

Kevin has been handicapping professionally since 2007 at VegasInsider before shifting to ScoresAndOdds. He focuses on MLB, NFL, college football, NBA, college basketball, and NHL and mainly uses trends, systems, and situations as his top handicapping angles. More from Kevin Rogers
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