by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024
Game Time: 4:30 pm ET, Saturday, September 14, 2024
Venue: Maverik Stadium, Logan, UT
Where to Watch: CBS Sports
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Utah -20, USU +20; Over/Under: 45 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Utah -20, USU +20; Over/Under: 45 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Utah -20.5, USU +20.5; Over/Under: 44.5 points
Season Record
Utah Utes: 2-0 (0-0) (7th place, Big 12)
Utah State Aggies: 1-1 (0-0) (9th place, MWC)
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Recent Form
Utah Utes: won their last game at home against the Baylor Bears 23-12.
Utah State Aggies: lost their last game on the road against the USC Trojans 48-0.
Utah Utes vs Utah State Aggies Preview and Analysis
Utah is entering this game with a 2-0 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 2-0 in their home games, 0-0 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 Baylor 23-12. Cameron Rising was the starting QB and he completed 8/14 passes for 92 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Micah Bernard led the team in rushing yards with 118. Money Parks led the receivers with 80 receiving yards on 3 receptions and 1 TD. Tao Johnson led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 0 assisted tackles while Connor O'Toole led the defense in sacks with 2. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Utah State is entering this game with a 1-1 record overall and they have a 0-0 record in their conference games too. They are 1-0 in their home games, 0-1 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 USC 48-0. Bryson Barnes was the starting QB and he completed 18/27 passes for 103 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 1 interception. Rahsul Faison led the team in rushing yards with 54. Jalen Royals led the receivers with 47 receiving yards on 6 receptions. Ike Larsen and Jordan Vincent each led the defense in that game with 7 solo tackles and 4 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
Utah vs Utah State Prediction
The current betting odds have Utah listed as a 20 point favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. Utah has looked really good in their games this season with their 2-0 record overall and they look like they could be one of the best teams in the Big 12 this season. They just beat Baylor at home in their last one and their defense was great as usual, holding the Bears to 12 points. The offense got off to a hot start but fell off a bit after Cam Rising picked up an injury, but the defense held up to win that one and they will do the same here. Meanwhile, Utah State hasn't looked good in their games this season with their 1-1 record overall. They won their season opener against a team from the FCS but they were blanked in their last game, losing on the road 48-0 against USC. USC has an improved defense this season, but Utah State also has a terrible offense that is a lot worse than it was last season. They don't have a solid starting QB either with both being less than mediocre. This is a big game for Barnes since he played for Utah last season, but he was also a big reason why the offense was so inefficient and the defense needed to bail them out a lot. Even with Rising banged up, Utah is going to put up points in this game and Utah State won't be able to match them with their offense. Utah also has one of the best defenses in the Big 12 so Utah State will struggle in this game just to move the ball at all. The best way to place a bet here is on Utah to cover the spread in this game.
Utah Utah State Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, September 14, 2024 (4:30 pm ET start time) is Utah 35 USU 6.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Utah Utes: 6-5 (+2.40 units) on the 1st half moneyline in their last 11 games. 3-1 to the 1st quarter over in their last 4 road games. 3-1 to the 1st half over in their last 4 road games.
Utah State Aggies: 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games. 3-9 ATS in the 1st quarter of their last 12 games. 6-1 to the 1st half over in their last 7 home games.
Key Injuries
Utah Utes: C. Rising (QB) Questionable - Undisclosed. K. Johnson (CB) Out - Undisclosed.
Utah State Aggies: T. Motu'apuaka (OL) Questionable - Undisclosed. S. Petras (QB) Questionable - Leg. R. Briggs (RB) Out - Leg.
Notable Quotes
“Certainly, when Cam left the game that was a downer for us. But the world can’t stop turning when Cam exits a game. We got to keep playing, which we did, but we got to be productive, which we were not real productive on offense.” - Kyle Whittingham after his team’s win against Baylor in their last game.
“This offense (is) just so hard to stop because they are so explosive, but now they have a defense that has always been talented, but it’s so sound. Unbelievable how well they’re teaching their players to play. They have length, and now they know how to use their length. That’s why they have a chance to be not only one of the best offenses in the country, but possibly one of the (best) defenses, so that is a complete football team right there that’s going to play a long, long time.” - Nate Dreiling after his team’s loss against USC in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Utah Utes
WR Singer, Dorian
WR Parks, Money
WR Pittman, Mycah
TE Bentley, Dallen
TE Kuithe, Brant
QB Rising, Cameron
RB Bernard, Micah
Utah State Aggies
WR Royals, Jalen
WR Tia, Otto
WR White, Kyrese
TE Lane, Broc
QB Petras, Spencer
RB Faison, Rahsul
Statistical Leaders
Utah Utes
Passing: C. Rising (346)
Rushing: M. Bernard (151)
Receiving: D. Stanley (155)
Touchdowns: B. Kuithe (3)
Utah State Aggies
Passing: B. Barnes (301)
Rushing: R. Faison (132)
Receiving: K. White (146)
Touchdowns: K. White (2)
Coaches:
Utah Utes: Kyle Whittingham (21st season)
Utah State Aggies: Nate Dreiling (1st 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.
