BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Prediction, Picks and Game Preview - 11/09/2024

by Rod Pearson

Friday, Nov 08, 2024
Game Time: 10:15 pm ET, Saturday, November 9, 2024
Venue:  Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT 
Where to Watch:  ESPN


Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks

DraftKings:  Point Spread:  BYU -3, Utah +3; Over/Under:  40.5 points
Bet365:  Point Spread:  BYU -3, Utah +3; Over/Under:  40.5 points
BetMGM:  Point Spread:  BYU -3, Utah +3; Over/Under:  40.5 points

Season Record

BYU Cougars:  8-0 (5-0) (1st place, Big 12)
Utah Utes:  4-4 (1-4) (13th place, Big 12)

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Recent Form
BYU Cougars:  won their last game on the road against the Central Florida Knights 37-24.
Utah Utes:  lost their last game on the road against the Houston Cougars 17-14.


BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Preview and Analysis


BYU is entering this game with an 8-0 record overall and they have a 5-0 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 4-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against UCF 37-24. Jake Retzlaff was the starting QB and he completed 16/24 passes for 228 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. LJ Martin led the team in rushing yards with 101 and 1 TD. Chase Roberts led the receivers with 75 receiving yards on 2 receptions and 1 TD. Crew Wakley led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Blake Mangelson led the defense in sacks with 1. Isaiah Glasker and Faletau Satuala each came away with 1 interception for them in that one.
 
 
 
Utah is entering this game with a 4-4 record overall and they have a 1-4 record in their conference games too. They are 2-2 in their home games, 2-2 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Houston 17-14. Isaac Wilson was the starting QB and he completed 13/22 passes for 171 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 0 interceptions. Micah Bernard led the team in rushing yards with 51 and 1 TD. Brant Kuithe led the receivers with 113 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Lander Barton led the defense in that game with 11 solo tackles and 1 assisted tackle while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Johnathan Hall came away with the only interception for them in that one.


BYU vs Utah Prediction

The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 3 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked great in their games this season with their 8-0 record overall and their 5-0 conference record which has them leading the Big 12 with the best record in the conference. They are the only undefeated Big 12 team left this season and they have been rolling over teams in their games lately. Meanwhile, Utah hasn't looked good in their games this season with their 4-4 record overall and their 1-4 conference record which has them near the bottom of the Big 12 even though it was such a promising year for this team. The offense has looked terrible as they have been really up and down all season and they haven't been that great in their home games either, going 2-2 in those. Both of these teams are coming out of their bye weeks for this game, but BYU has a lot more momentum behind them with their incredible season. They are going to be motivated since they have a real chance to make the Big 12 Championship and the CFP, but they are also going to bring their best effort for this game since they truly despise their opponent. This is going to be a heated rivalry game here, but BYU has the guns this season to get the job done and welcome Utah to the conference which BYU was first to call their home. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game. 

BYU Utah Prediction:  Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, November 9, 2024 (10:15 pm ET start time) is BYU 24 Utah 19.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert football picks today. And if you enjoyed this BYU Cougars Utah Utes prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NCAAF predictions and previews.

NCAAF Betting Trends


BYU Cougars: 6-2 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 5-2 ATS off a road win. 5-2 ATS after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins. 21-12 OVER in all lined games. 10-4 OVER as a favorite. 7-3 OVER after scoring 37 points or more last game.

Utah Utes: 1-4 ATS after a bye week. 3-6 ATS off a loss against a conference rival. 6-11 ATS when playing against a team with a winning record. 5-2 OVER off a road loss. 8-5 OVER vs. good teams - outscoring opponents by 10+ PPG on the season. 9-4 1H OVER after playing their last game on the road.

Key Injuries


BYU Cougars:  K. Epps (WR) Doubtful - Undisclosed. E. Nawahine (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Brown (OL) Out - Knee.

Utah Utes:  M. Parks (WR) Out - Shoulder. I. Wilson (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Rising (QB) Out - Lower Body. K. Johnson (CB) Out - Undisclosed.

Notable Quotes


“We've wanted to work these two guys from the very beginning of the year. Having them as a 1-2 punch is really good. I just like the way that they are playing overall. It's good to have them both healthy.” - Kalani Sitake after his team’s win against UCF in their last game. 


“Trying to get a spark. Trying to create something. We had only scored one touchdown and just didn’t seem to be gaining any momentum offensively, so we figured it was time to give Brandon an opportunity.” - Kyle Whittingham after his team’s loss against Houston in their last game. 


Starting Lineups


BYU Cougars
WR Marion, Keelan 
WR Roberts, Chase
WR Lassiter, Darius 
TE Ta'ase, Mata'ava 
QB Retzlaff, Jake
RB Martin, LJ

Utah Utes
WR Singer, Dorian
WR Calhoun, Cameron
WR Pittman, Mycah
TE Bentley, Dallen
TE Kuithe, Brant 
QB Wilson, Isaac
RB Bernard, Micah 

Statistical Leaders


BYU Cougars
Passing: J. Retzlaff (1872)
Rushing: L. Martin (357)
Receiving: D. Lassiter (504)
Touchdowns: L. Martin (7)

Utah Utes
Passing: I. Wilson (1200)
Rushing: M. Bernard (782)
Receiving: D. Singer (540)
Touchdowns: B. Kuithe (6)

Coaches:
BYU Cougars: Kalani Sitake (9th season)
Utah Utes: Kyle Whittingham (21st season)


Rod Pearson

About the Author:

Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life.  He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years.  In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective.  Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.

All photographic images used for editorial content have been licensed from the Associated Press.

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