Big 12 Conference leaders clash on Saturday as the ninth-ranked BYU Cougars visit the third-ranked Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET.
BYU (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) enters the game following a 27-20 win over Arizona State, while Utah (8-0, 5-0 Big 12) is coming off a 49-25 victory at Cincinnati. The Utes are 5-0 at home this season; the Cougars are 2-1 on the road.
Betting Odds
Utah is a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5 points. The money line lists Utah at -182 and BYU at +160.
Model Projections
The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates each FBS game 10,000 times, projects the game to go over the 49.5-point total. The over has hit in each of BYU's last three games and in six of Utah's last ten. Utah averages 38.9 points per game, second in the Big 12, while BYU averages 32.4 points.
The model projects BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier to throw for 220 yards and one touchdown (1,750 yards, 12 touchdowns, four interceptions on the season). Utah quarterback Devon Dampier is projected to throw for more than 230 yards and two touchdowns (1,876 yards, 18 touchdowns, seven interceptions). The computer calls for 50 combined points, with the over hitting 54% of simulations.
Additionally, the model indicates one side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations. The model entered Week 10 on an 80-77 run on top-rated college football picks.
