Ninth-ranked BYU and third-ranked Utah will clash in a Big 12 showdown on Saturday at noon ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Both teams entered the week undefeated in conference play, with the Cougars at 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big 12, while the Utes stand 8-0 overall and 5-0 in league action.
Game Details
BYU has won two of three road games this season, most recently a 27-20 victory over Arizona State. Utah is 5-0 at home, including a 49-25 win at Cincinnati last week. The Utes lead the Big 12 in scoring at 38.9 points per game, while BYU averages 32.4 points.
Odds and Predictions
Utah opens as a 4.5-point favorite with an over/under of 49.5 points. The money line lists Utah at -182 and BYU at +160. A projection model simulating the game 10,000 times favors the over on the total, which has hit in three straight BYU games and six of Utah's last ten. The model projects a combined 50 points, with the over hitting in 54% of simulations. Additionally, the model indicates one side of the spread covers in more than 60% of simulations.
Quarterback Projections
BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier is projected to throw for 220 yards and one touchdown. He has accumulated 1,750 passing yards with 12 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier is projected to exceed 230 passing yards and two touchdowns; he has thrown for 1,876 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
