UConn @ BYU NCAA Football Betting Preview

Posted by Alex Murphy on Friday,October 2, 2015 12:20, EDT in

The BYU Cougars (2-2) and the Connecticut Huskies (2-2) have both lost their previous two games after winning their first two games. In their respective Week 44 encounters, the Huskies lost to Navy at home, giving up 28 points in the process last Saturday, while the Cougars were shutout by Michigan giving up 31 points. As both teams look to get back to winning ways in the College Football Odds, here is a look at what can be expected from them this Friday.

How To Bet the Cougars vs. Huskies NCAA Football Odds, TV & Game Info

Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
Date: Friday, October 2, 2015
Time: 10:15 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
NCAAF Odds: Connecticut (+18.5), BYU (-18.5), OVER/UNDER (44).

Betting on the Connecticut Huskies

Even though the Huskies lost their last game 18-28 to the Navy Midshipmen, they didn’t play that badly, which should motivate them to look for their third win of the season. The offense is averaging 16.5 points and 320 yards per game and they have turned the ball over five times. QB Bryant Shirreffs has completed 65 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and an interception, on top of rushing for 115 yards this campaign.

The QB completed 19 of his 32 passes and threw for 219 yards with two TDs in the previous game. Arkeel Newsome, who leads the Huskies ground attack with 153 yards this season, managed 14 carries for 69 rushing yards for the Huskies against Navy, while WR Noel Thomas led the team with five receptions on 78 receiving yards. The trio will have a rather easy offensive burden to shoulder this Friday especially on the ground, as they’ll be going against a Cougars’ defense that ranks dismally at No. 126 in generating rushing yards at home.

On the D-line, the Huskies are allowing 17.2 points and 295.2 yards per game, and have racked up 3 interceptions, 2 fumble recoveries, and 5 sacks. Andrew Adams leads the Connecticut’s defense with 34 tackles, Junior Joseph has 28 tackles, and Obi Melifonwu has 23 tackles. On paper, Connecticut appears to be in decent shape on defense, but they will need to stamp the authority against the Cougars’ offensive unit that has countlessly proven itself capable of stuffing opposing teams with their quick run-pass game.

Betting on the BYU Cougars

The month of September is in the books for the Cougars and the team is hoping to perform better in October after playing three of its first four games on the road. The Cougars are coming off a 31-0 shutout by Michigan, but are heavy favorites to bounce back against the Huskies on Friday.

The Cougars offense is averaging 22.8 points and 350.5 YPG, and they have turned the ball over four times this season. QB Tanner Mangum is completing 57.9 percent of his passes with four TDs and three INTs this season. He, however, struggled against Michigan’s defense, completing just 12 of his 28 passes for 55 yards. RB Adam Hine, the Cougars’ top rusher this season, also rushed for just 33 yards on eight carries during the loss. WR Devon Blackmon, who leads the program with 15 catches, finished the game with 14 receiving yards. The offense will importantly need to get better as it will be going against the Huskies and their solid defense, ranking 24th in the nation.

On the defense, the Cougars are allowing 26.8 points and 414 YPG. The defense has also collected seven interceptions, nine sacks, and a fumble recovery this season. Most notably, the Huskies passing attack that is decently averaging 211.8 YPG, something BYU’s defense should be wary of.

Key UConn @ BYU Betting Trends

•    The Cougars are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games
•    The Huskies are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games
•    The Cougars are 6-3 SU in their last nine games
•    The Huskies are 3-11 SU in their last 14 games
•    The Cougars are 2-6-1 ATS in their last nine games at home
•    The Huskies are 4-13-3 ATS in their last 20 games on the road
•    The Cougars are 20-5 SU in their last 25 games at home
•    The Huskies are 0-5 SU in their last five games on the road
•    The total has gone OVER in five of the Cougars’ last six games at home
•    The total has gone UNDER in five of the Huskies’ last seven games on the road

My Expert Betting Prediction & Pick

The Huskies have been struggling this season, scoring a combined three TDs over their last two games. So even though Connecticut’s defense has not been playing badly, the offense will find it difficult to keep up with BYU. So in short, go with BYU for the home win minus the points, but with an UNDER in the total because the game is likely to be an averagely scoring affair.