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Arizona vs Utah Prediction, Odds, Picks, How to Watch College Football Week 5

Two teams that have spent the last decade plus battling each other in the Pac-12 now square off as Big 12 opponents for the first time.

The Utah Utes (4-0) are the odds-on favorite to win the conference after a victory at Oklahoma State last week and the Arizona Wildcats (2-1) enter off a bye week, making this their first Big 12 matchup.

The Utes are favored by eight points on the spread and are -310 on the moneyline. Meanwhile, the total is 47.5.

Here are some Arizona vs. Utah predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Sept. 28.

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  • Utah vs Arizona Pick: Arizona +8.5

My Arizona-Utah best bet is on the Wildcats spread, with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.

Arizona vs Utah Odds, Spread, Line

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  • Arizona vs Utah Point Spread: Arizona +8.5 · Utah -8.5
  • Arizona vs Utah Total: Over/Under 46.5 Points
  • Arizona vs Utah Moneyline: Arizona +275 · Utah -350

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Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview: Concerning Matchup

The Wildcats had quite the offseason with Jedd Fisch bolting for the Washington job at the 11th hour.

Brent Brennan took over and has done a nice job of steadying the ship and retaining some integral pieces like QB Noah Fifita and WR Tetairoa McMillan.

As a result, expectations were pretty high for the Wildcats entering 2024.

The last time out was not pretty. Arizona was dominated by Kansas State from start to finish in Manhattan and entered the bye week with plenty to fix.

They now go up against a familiar opponent, and a team Fifita and company dominated a year ago in Tuscon.

In that matchup, Fifita went 22-for-30 for two touchdowns and Zona secured the victory 42-18.

Arizona lost a lot from last year’s defense and will need to be much better than what it’s shown thus far this season if it wants to slow down Utah.

The Arizona defense ranks outside the top 100 in both line yards and finishing drives, which is concerning against a physical Utah offensive line group.

That said, the Wildcats have the playmakers to hit some explosives against a Utah defense that will play a lot of single high, man-to-man defense and dare you to beat it deep.

Utah Utes Betting Preview: Consistency is Key

The more things change the more they stay the same for Kyle Whittingham and Utah football.

Elite defense, good special teams and a strong rushing attack have been hallmarks of this program ever since Whitt took over, and this year is no different.

Last week in Stillwater, without star QB Cam Rising, the Utes ran for 249 yards and at one point forced eight consecutive Cowboy three and outs.

Isaac Wilson has done an admirable job replacing Rising thus far and is making some plays with his legs just like his older brother Zach did at BYU.

It’s still a little unclear who will start in this one, but whether it’s Rising or Wilson, expect a heavy dosage of RB Micah Bernard.

WR Dorian Singer also had a strong game against Oklahoma State, catching seven balls and doing a ton after the catch to pick up key first downs.

On the other side of the ball, it’s been nearly impossible to run on the Utes. Ollie Gordon II couldn’t get anything going, and I don’t expect Arizona to really even try to run it much up the middle.

The challenge that Utah will have this week that it didn’t last Saturday is containing a mobile quarterback.

Alan Bowman is as stationary as they come in the pocket, whereas Fifita brings a whole different element for the Wildcats.

Keeping a spy on Fifita will be critical for the Utes to have success on defense in this game.

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Utah vs Arizona Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Utah and Arizona match up statistically:

Arizona Offense vs. Utah Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success 76 23
Line Yards 107 48
Pass Success 73 24
Havoc 77 17
Finishing Drives 90 16
Quality Drives 39 9
Utah Offense vs. Arizona Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success 70 66
Line Yards 83 103
Pass Success 76 75
Havoc 87 76
Finishing Drives 95 119
Quality Drives 62 77
Pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling 126 74
PFF Coverage 81 21
Special Teams SP+ 36 95
Middle 8 8 38
Seconds per Play 30.6 (122) 31.2 (125)
Rush Rate 43% (118) 60% (32)
Data via CollegeFootballData.com, SP+, Pro Football Focus and SportSource Analytics.

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Ultimately, I see some value on the Wildcats as a double-digit underdog against a Utah team that still has some uncertainty at the quarterback position.

I don’t believe Utah will be able to create major separation in this game, whether it’s the injured Rising or the young Wilson who starts under center.

Arizona has the type of quarterback and receiver combo you need to make some plays down the field against a Utah defense that will sit in cover one.

Zona will need to be at its best to do enough to pull off the outright upset, but regardless, I like the Wildcats catching the points.

Pick: Arizona +8.5

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How to Watch Utah vs Arizona

Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Saturday, Sept. 28
Kickoff Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
TV / Streaming: ESPN

College Football Betting Trends for Arizona vs Utah

  • 50% of the bets and 86% of the money is on Utah to cover the spread against Arizona.
  • 93% of the bets and 90% of the money is on the over.

Arizona vs Utah Weather

[gameforecast league=”ncaaf” gameid=”226757″ date=”2024-09-28″][/gameforecast]

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Mike McNamara

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