The BYU Cougars (1-0) welcome the Baylor Bears (1-0) to LaVell Edwards Stadium Saturday. Kickoff is set for 10:15 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Baylor vs. BYU odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
BYU had a strong start to the season with a 50-21 win over South Florida in Week 1. Starting RB Christopher Brooks did most of the heavy lifting with 13 carries for 135 yards and a touchdown.
Three Cougars went for over 50 yards on the ground. Staring QB Jaren Hall was 25-for-32 passing for 261 yards and 2 touchdowns against 1 interception.
Baylor should be a far more difficult matchup, but it also didn’t get a competitive game in Week 1. The Bears beat Albany 69-10, leading 35-7 at halftime.
While a plethora of players were keys to the victory, it was redshirt sophomore QB Blake Shapen who carried most of the load, throwing for 214 yards (17-for-20) and 2 touchdowns.
Baylor is No. 8 and BYU is No. 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Baylor at BYU odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:38 a.m. ET.
- Money line (ML): Baylor +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | BYU -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Baylor +2.5 (-112) | BYU -2.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 52.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Baylor at BYU picks and predictions
Prediction
Baylor 31, BYU 28
Money line
LEAN BAYLOR (+110).
Baylor hasn’t lost to a non-Power 5 school in a game that wasn’t a bowl game since 2018 and it has an improved defense to rely upon as well.
All but two of their defensive starters are upperclassmen and they spent last season with the Bears as well. Not having shown much last season, it should be a stronger side of the ball.
BYU may not have the same explosiveness as it did last season with RB Tyler Allgeier having departed for the NFL. BYU lost at Baylor last season 38-24 as well.
While the Cougars did have some impressive wins, the same Bears defense should see similar success this time around. I’ll take the Bears with the plus-money value to win outright.
Against the spread
BET BAYLOR +2.5 (-112).
For all the reasons listed above, and the fact that Baylor had 2 games last season finishing by a 2-point margin, I’ll take the visitors plus the points here.
Over/Under
LEAN OVER 52.5 (-112).
Both teams would’ve crushed this in their season opener, and the offenses have looked impressive.
Shapen looks like a solid commander for the Bears’ offense and should be able to string lengthy possessions together, having an 85% completion percentage in his opener.
With Brooks potentially being one of the better backs in the country, betting on him to be efficient again is smart. The total isn’t set too high here either with the team’s combining for 119 points in their openers.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this game or any other NCAA football matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow @nathanbeighle_ on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]