Let’s check the NCAAF picks of Week 2. Can Utah beat BYU?
Saturday, September 11, 2021 – 10:15 PM EDT at LaVell Edwards Stadium
The Utah Utes aren’t seen as a true competitor in the Pac-12, but last week proved that anything can happen. Half of the conference lost their season openers, including everyone in the Pac-12 North except for Oregon. Washington lost to an FCS opponent, and no one looked ready to start the season except for UCLA.
With this opening, Utah has an outside shot of winning the conference. They hope to have solved their quarterback woes by replacing Jake Bentley with Baylor transfer Charlie Brewer. They have a great offensive line, and their defense will be as gritty as ever.
While their next game won’t impact their conference record, Utah still has a great shot to make a statement on Saturday. They’ll play on the road against BYU. The Cougars may be without their first-round quarterback from a year ago, but they are already 1-0 on the year against Pac-12 opponents. They beat Arizona, and they’re looking to win their next one on Saturday.
Utah is favored on the road by 7 points, but can they cover the spread? Here are the keys and a prediction for this game.
Utah’s offense appears to have more balance this season, but they didn’t play a tough opponent in their first game. In order to cover this spread, they need that production to continue into this game.
Last year was odd for the Utes. Their first game was in November, so they were at a significant disadvantage. They have more consistency in 2021, and that should show as the season progresses. Specifically, their offensive consistency needs to include fewer turnovers. Utah had two turnovers against Weber State. They can’t have that against BYU. If they do, they might lose this game. They certainly won’t cover if they lose the turnover battle by a wide margin.
On defense, Utah needs to rely on their physical nature. BYU can play this game as well, but Utah has always won with large fronts and physical corners. Regardless of who they’ve had to replace, they need to do that again.
BYU plays this game at home, but that will have a minimal impact. The game is still in Utah, so fans can travel to the game.
BYU was favored to beat Arizona, and they did just that. However, they didn’t play a great game. Arizona gained more yards and kept it close for most of the game. For BYU to win this one, they need a stronger start. That can help boost whatever version of a home-field advantage they’ll have against an in-state opponent.
The Cougars let Arizona attack them in the passing game. If they give Charlie Brewer the same opportunity, he will torch them. They have to improve defensively and force Brewer to make hard throws.
BYU used to rely on big offensive play with Zach Wilson under center. They can’t do that anymore. They need methodical drives that end in points. If they can take a shot, that will help. If not, they need to figure out how to extend drives to wear down the defense. This will give them a shot to win the game in the fourth quarter, which is the best-case scenario for the home underdog.
Watch out for the Cougars to pull off the upset at home. With that in mind, what is the right pick in this game?
Utah failed to cover the spread last week, but so did BYU. The Cougars shouldn’t let up as many passing yards, but the Utes should also have fewer turnovers. Both teams should play better than they did last week, which makes this a hard game to predict.
Still, I like the experience and discipline of Utah. They have a great coaching staff that gets players ready to play in tough situations. That will make the difference this Saturday as the Utes barely cover the spread. Brewer will limit his mistakes, and Utah will win on the road against the BYU Cougars.
NCAAF Pick: Utah -7 (-108) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.