BYU at Utah Bet: Can the Cougars Cover the Spread on the Road?

BYU Cougars (8-0 SU, ATS 6-1)  vs Utah Utes (4-4 SU, ATS 1-6)
Date: 10:15 EST Saturday, November 9th
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
TV: ESPN
Point Spread: BYU -4/UT +4
Money Line: BYU -183/UT  +153
Over/Under: 41.5

ESPN will be covering the week 11 matchup between the BYU Cougars and Utah Utes, which is set to kick off at 10:15 ET from Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. BYU is undefeated this season at 8-0, while Utah comes in with a 4-4 record. The Cougars are favored by -4 points on the road, with the over/under line currently sitting at 41.5 points.

Head-to-Head Matchup:

Last season, the BYU Cougars and Utah Utes did not face off head-to-head. When looking back over the last three times these two teams have played, the Utah Utes have the leg up at 3-0. The Utah Utes also had the edge vs. the spread in these games, at 2-1. These games averaged a combined total of 51 points per game, leading to an over/under record of 0-3.

BYU Cougars Recent Form:

BYU heads into Week 11 against Utah with an 8-0 record and a 28th-place spot in our power rankings. They are already bowl-eligible and have a 36.6% chance of winning the Big 12. The Cougars also have the 9th best odds to make the playoff at 58.9%.

BYU is 4-0 on the road and 3-0 at home this season. They’ve been favored in three games and are 3-0 as the favorite. They’ve gone 4-0 as an underdog and have a +15.5 average scoring margin.

Their ATS record stands at 6-1, with a 4-0 mark on the road. BYU’s over/under record is 5-2, and they’ve averaged 54.8 points per game. Their average over/under line is 49.6 points, while this week’s line is set at 41.5 points.

BYU’s offense averages 35.1 points per game heading into week 11, ranking 21st nationally. They are also 22nd in our offensive power rankings. Jake Retzlaff has thrown for 1,870 yards with 17 touchdowns and seven interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 98.

BYU is averaging 182.2 rushing yards per game. LJ Martin leads the team with 357 yards, five touchdowns, and 5 yards per carry. Darius Lassiter has 504 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 31 catches.

BYU’s defense has been solid this season, ranking 17th nationally by allowing just 19.6 points per game. They’ve held opponents to 185 passing yards per game, which ranks 35th, and quarterbacks have managed a passer rating of only 55.4, the fourth-lowest in the country. BYU’s defense has also limited opposing quarterbacks to a 52.2% completion rate, ranking 10th nationally.

In their last game against UCF, BYU’s defense gave up 24 points but allowed 602 total yards, including 308 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. UCF also threw for 294 yards and three touchdowns against BYU’s defense.

Away Injury Report

Utah Utes Recent Form:

Utah enters Week 11 with a 4-4 record, ranked 53rd in our power rankings. Their chances of becoming bowl-eligible stand at 41.7%. At home, they are 1-2, while their road record is 2-2.

The Utes have been favored in seven of their eight games but are 3-4 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is +6.2 points per game, but they are just 1-6 against the spread this season.

Utah’s over/under record is 1-6, with their games averaging 39.2 points. This week’s line is 41.5 points, compared to their average over/under line of 47.7 points.

Utah’s offense has struggled this season, ranking 109th in our offensive power rankings and averaging 22.8 points per game, placing them 79th in the nation. Their third-down conversion rate is just 31.1%, and their rushing game averages 152.4 yards per game.

Isaac Wilson leads the passing attack with 1,200 yards, but he has thrown eight interceptions and has a passer rating of 72. Overall, Utah ranks 115th in passer rating. Micah Bernard has rushed for 782 yards, averaging 6 yards per carry. Dorian Singer leads the receivers with 540 yards but has not scored a touchdown.

Utah’s defense has been a strong point this season, ranking 10th nationally by allowing just 16.5 points per game. They’ve also held opponents to a 49.6% completion rate, the third-lowest in the country, and 169.5 passing yards per game, ranking 19th.

In their recent game against Houston, Utah’s defense allowed just 17 points and 234 total yards, including 123 rushing yards on 39 attempts and 111 passing yards.

Home Injury Report

Betting Trends

• The BYU Cougars are 3-0 ATS in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, Utah has an ATS record of 1-4 while averaging 20 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
• Going back to their last five games as the underdog, the Utah Utes have a record of 1-4. But, their mark vs the spread was just 2-3.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the BYU Cougars have a straight-up record of 8-2. But their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.

Free Pick

Even though on paper, BYU should run away with this one, the oddsmakers have them at just -4 point favorites vs a Utah team that is 4-4 and just 1-6 vs the spread. However, one thing to note is that Utah has put together a good defensive unit this season, and Rice-Eccles Stadium should be a tough environment for BYU to walk into on Saturday. This should be a good one in the late-night slate, and I like Utah to push BYU in this one and am taking them at +4.

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