Utah Utes at BYU Cougars Betting Pick

With the College Football season officially underway, it is time to look at some of the betting options we have in week one. There are many options out there, so make sure you are doing all the research necessary to cover all of your bases.

At any rate, we are here to help you decide the best bet, and this article will focus on the Thursday night matchup between the Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars.

Utah Utes are ready for 2019

Utah will be entering this 2019 season following a disappointing finish last year. The Utes made a way to the PAC-12 Championship game where they took on the top-ranked Washington Huskies. While their defense held strong, Utah could not produce enough offense as they fell short against the Huskies10-3.

The Utes then found themselves in the Holiday Bowl matched up against the Northwestern Wildcats. The defense struggled to stop the Wildcats in this game and again fell short 31-20.

Even with all of the disappointment in 2018, Utah returns a strong roster and is looking to make a run through the PAC-12. Utah has a preseason rank of number 14 in the country and will have a tough road opener against BYU.

Senior quarterback Tyler Huntley is looking to take control of their season early. After last season, starting off 2019 with a tough road win against BYU might be just what the Utes need to get a spark.

Can BYU improve in 2019?

On the other side of the coin, BYU had an underwhelming season in 2018, finishing at a pedestrian 7-6.

Even with a not-so-satisfying regular season, the Cougars found themselves in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, matched up against Western Michigan. They were able to handle their business and beat WMU 49-18.

The Cougars have a young roster. At the midway point in 2018, head coach Kalani Sitake decided to put his freshmen in as starters. Quarterback Zach Wilson finished the season with 12 TD’s, 3 INT’s and a 65.9 CMP%, while freshman running back Lopini Katoa finished with 423 yards rushing and 8 TD’s on the season.

With some experience under their belts, these two will look to be the focal point of the Cougars offense and help lead BYU to a double-digit win season.

As per Jazz Sports, here are the prices for the Thursday night matchup:

Spread: Utah -.5.5

Over/under: 48.5

Money Line: Utah -280

Utah is favored on the road -5.5 against the Cougars. Historically, BYU has never been a team to roll over at home. The BYU crowd is always rocking in their home stadium, and we expect no less for Thursday night. With the game featured on ESPN, both teams will be fired up to show who the king of the state is.

This matchup will be all about the defenses. Both teams will look to dominate the time of possession and focus on a run-heavy offense. With two of the stronger defenses in the PAC-12, and the season opener being on national television expect a number of nerves, punts, and turnovers for both teams.

The Utes will hold up against the Cougars

Neither of these two offenses have a lot of firepower, so expect a low scoring contest. The over/under comes in at 48.5, and that feels like a surefire lock on the under.

With such a young roster for BYU, Utah should look to break them down and control the tempo of the game. BYU will cover the spread, but I like Utah to win this game in a close, highly contested battle.

Make sure to lock in your bets before the Thursday night kickoff. Until next time!