The Cougars return nine offensive starters, including quarterback Zach Wilson, who threw for 12 passing touchdowns last season in nine games. Meanwhile, leading rusher Lopini Katoa also returns to BYU after recording eight scores on the ground last season. Defensively, the Cougars also bring back eight defensive starters, after allowing 21 or fewer points in eight different games last season. Five of BYU’s six losses from a season ago were decided by eight points or less, making them a viable option to bounce back from last year's 7-6 mark as the team continues to gain more experience.
Utah has won eight-consecutive Holy Wars against their rival and enters the matchup ranked inside the top 25 for the fifth-straight season. The Utes return eight offensive starters, while also bringing back seven players that started on defense in 2018 during the team’s nine-win season. Quarterback Tyler Huntley leads the way for the Utah offense, after throwing 12 touchdowns a season ago, while also adding four rushing touchdowns and over 450 yards on the ground. Defensively, the Utes are stout, and bring back many of the players that made that side of the ball successful in 2018. Utah allowed 10 points or less in six different games last season en route to a 6-3 record in Pac-12 play and 9-5 overall mark.
BetQL’s model lists the Utes as a five-star moneyline bet in this matchup.
The Utes opened at -195, but have since shot up to -225 favorites. The road team is receiving roughly 62 percent of public bets as of Tuesday afternoon, which is expected for a team ranked inside the top 15.
To view the two other 5-star moneyline bets and three 4-star bets in Week 1, CLICK HERE!