No. 14 Utah Looks To Continue Success Against BYU

The 100th Holy War kicks off on Thursday night

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Utah (-225) at BYU (+185)

Thursday, August 29th, 10:15pm EST

BetQL Rating: 5-Star Moneyline - Utah

BYU Cougars

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 Utes

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.

What Does the BetQL Dashboard Say?

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!

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Trends

  • In their 99 previous meetings, Utah leads the all-time series 61-34-4, and the two teams are playing the earliest they have done in a season since their first meeting in April 1896, when BYU was known as Brigham Young Academy.

  • Utah is 35-9 under head coach Kyle Whittingham in non-conference games, and with the Utes winning eight consecutive Holy Wars against BYU, that record could improve once again on Thursday. 

  • Additionally, Utah is 26-11 under Whittingham over the first four weeks of the season, but the Utes did lose to both Washington and Washington State last year in September.

  • BYU went 3-3 at home last season, and the Cougars haven’t won against the Utes at LaVell Edwards Stadium since 2009 -- when the hosts earned a 26-23 overtime victory.

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