Last weekend, the college football season got off to a tentative start in what is now routinely dubbed as Week 0. While this week of the season is usually reserved for the lesser lights in the college game, we did get a big match-up to enjoy, with the Miami Hurricanes very nearly springing the upset on the #8 ranked Florida Gators. With that out of the way, we can now look ahead to the start of the season proper, with a full slate of games set to begin on Thursday night, with some early top 25 teams making their start a little early.
All eyes will, of course, be on the Clemson Tigers, as they open their defense of the National Championship against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. There are more games than that on Thursday, though, including the #14 ranked Utah Utes hitting the road to take on the BYU Cougars. It’s never easy to open on the road, so this could be a good start for Utah if they can open up with the win. Utah hit the road favored by 5 ½, with the point total for this one set at 47.
Utah vs BYU 2019 College Football Week 1 Odds, Game Info & Pick
- When: Thursday, August 29 at 10:15 PM EST
- Where: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- College Football Week 1 Odds: Utah -5.5 (Total 47)
Texas State vs Texas A&M 2019 College Football Week 1 Odds, Game Info and Pick
Weather Forecast
- Mostly Clear: 16°C/61°F
- Humidity: 57%
- Precipitation: 10%
- Cloud Cover: 25%
- Wind: 7 mph E
- Stadium Type: Open
Why bet on the Utah Utes?
It was a bit of a strange season for the Utah Utes in 2018, as they started things out by losing their opening two PAC 12 Conference games. After that, though, they reeled off 6 of 7 to land on top of the South Division to take them to their first ever PAC 12 Championship Game. Unfortunately, they were a total bust on the offensive side of the football in the big game, eventually going down 10-3 to the Washington Huskies.
The Utes closed out their season with another poor showing, losing a bowl game to Northwestern on New Year’s Eve. Still, they will be looking to repeat their division title this season and will be looking for some serious input from RB Zack Moss, who many are tipping to be a potential Heisman candidate.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 28.07
- Passing Yards: 213.93
- Rushing Yards: 183.07
- Yards per Play: 5.72
- Points per Game: 19.43
- Passing Yards: 215.29
- Rushing Yards: 100.43
- Yards per Play: 4.62
Why bet on the BYU Cougars?
It actually wasn’t that long ago since the last meeting between these two, with BYU going on the road to face Utah in the final regular season game of last season. The Cougars put up a good fight in that one before eventually going down 35-27. Since BYU play as an Independent, alongside the likes of Notre Dame and Army, there is no championship game in their future.
The reality for this team is that bowl games tend to be the reward for a decent season. The Cougars went bowling last season and closed out their year with an impressive 49-18 win over WMU. The Cougars have just 1 win in their last 10 meetings with the Utah Utes, so a win here would definitely need to be considered an upset.
Team Stats
Offense- Points per Game: 27.23
- Passing Yards: 211.77
- Rushing Yards: 153.15
- Yards per Play: 5.54
- Points per Game: 21.38
- Passing Yards: 193.62
- Rushing Yards: 131.38
- Yards per Play: 4.74
Georgia Tech vs Clemson 2019 College Football Week 1 Lines, Analysis and Prediction
Utah vs BYU College Football Week 1 Betting Trends
- Utes are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games against Brigham Young
- Utes are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games against an opponent in the Independent conference
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah’s last 6 games played in week 1
- Cougars are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games played on a Thursday
- Cougars are 7-1 SU in their last 8 games played in August
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Brigham Young’s last 7 games at home
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Utah vs BYU
As a straight up pick, the Utes look like a good bet given that they have now won 7 in a row versus independent teams. Utah are not exactly brimming with offensive talent, but they are tight defensively, so let’s also consider taking the UNDER.
Score: Utah Utes 27 – BYU Cougars 17
