The BYU Cougars and Arizona Wildcats head to Las Vegas, Nev., to open their seasons Saturday in the Vegas Kickoff Classic at 10:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the BYU vs. Arizona odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Arizona’s opener is the head coaching debut for Jedd Fisch, who served as the New England Patriots’ QB coach in 2020. Fisch has a full rebuild on his hands in Tucson, as Arizona’s 0-5 season ended with an embarrassing 70-7 loss to rival Arizona State in the Territorial Cup last year.
BYU went 11-1 behind a prolific offense that led the nation with 7.9 yards per play. The problem is that most of that production is gone, as QB Zach Wilson was the second overall pick in the NFL draft and the offensive line lost its top three starters. It must also replace three starting defensive linemen, including star DT Khyiris Tonga and leading tackler LB Isaiah Kaufusi.
BYU vs. Arizona odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:35 a.m. ET.
- Money line: BYU -500 (bet $500 to win $100) | Arizona +360 (bet $100 to win $360)
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU -12.5 (-110) | Arizona +12.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 53.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
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BYU vs. Arizona odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 31, Arizona 17
Money line
Arizona enters this contest on a 12-game losing skid and the talent cupboard is bare for its new regime. BYU is the heavy favorite, but there’s not enough payout at -500 to bet on them straight up.
PASS and target the spread instead.
Against the spread
Not only has Arizona lost 12 straight, but they’ve failed to cover in 10 of those games. Despite some promising offseason moves by Fisch – most notably hiring defensive coordinator Don Brown from Michigan – this won’t be an overnight fix.
BYU will have plenty of fresh faces as well, but most of its skill position players return and the continuity on its coaching staff should minimize that early-season learning curve. Take BYU -12.5 (-110).
Over/Under
With a bunch of turnover for both teams, and in Arizona’s case an entirely new offensive scheme, expect the defenses to be farther along than each offense this early in the season. Bet the UNDER 53.5 (-107) as both teams work out the Week One kinks.
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