Arizona’s rebuild under Jedd Fisch gets underway with a neutral-field game against BYU at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, September 4. Without Zach Wilson, this Cougars team could be unrecognizable to college football fans.
Will Arizona find a way to pull off a stunner against BYU? Find out in our BYU vs. Arizona picks and predictions.
BYU vs Arizona game info
• Location: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV
• Date: Saturday, September 4, 2021
• Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
BYU vs Arizona odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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BYU vs Arizona betting preview
Weather
Weather in Las Vegas will be (surprise!) hot and sunny Saturday, with clear skies and temperatures around 100 degrees. Wind will be gusting at roughly 6-7 mph with a 0 percent chance of precipitation.
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key injuries
BYU: WR Kody Epps (out)
Arizona: WR Jamarye Joiner (out), LB Jabar Triplett (out)
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 9-2 in BYU’s last 11 games against the Pac-12. Find more NCAA betting trends for BYU vs. Arizona.
Against the spread (ATS) pick
BYU no longer has star quarterback Zach Wilson around, but the team seems pretty high on Jaren Hall. Hall was part of the 2016 class, yet the former three-star recruit is only a sophomore. Like Wilson, Hall moves extremely well around the pocket and possesses a ton of confidence. However, Wilson’s arm talent was arguably the best in the nation last year, and the Cougars will quickly learn that things are going to be pretty tough without him.
Hall’s ability to move is relevant in a game like this, as it’s going to be tested pretty often. Fisch brought in former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown during the offseason, and Brown’s teams are known for blitzing nonstop. The Wildcats might not have too much talent on defense, but defensive end Jalen Harris could be in for a big year. He’ll definitely have an impact on this game, and his ability to put the pressure on will help an Arizona secondary that patched up its group with a couple of high-quality transfers.
All in all, this Wildcats team won’t be anything like the one that lost to Arizona State by 63 points a season ago. Fisch has made a real effort to change the culture in Tucson, so his team might not be good, but it will be tough.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats plan on using a two-quarterback system, with Gunner Cruz and Will Plummer splitting snaps. What that really means is that this Arizona offense likely won’t be much of a threat through the air — despite the fact that they have a lot of talent at wide receiver — but the Wildcats should be a solid running team. They have a very experienced offensive line and nice group of backs. That will help the team keep games closer this year, as they’ll at least eat up some clock and won’t be gifting the ball to opponents with quick incompletions.
That running game will be especially important in a game like this. BYU had an excellent defense a year ago, but the team lost nearly all of its starters. With that, look for the Wildcats to play a smash-mouth style, and don’t be surprised if this ends up being a one-possession game. Under Kalani Sitake, the Cougars are just 3-8 straight-up against Pac-12 opponents.
It wouldn’t be all that shocking if the Wildcats pulled off an upset here, but taking the points is the way to go.
PREDICTION: Arizona +12.5 (-110)
Over/Under pick
Of the 11 games that BYU has played against Pac-12 competition under Sitake, the Under has hit in nine of those contests. Also, the Under has come in three of the four neutral-field games the Cougars have played under their head coach. What that means is that you should expect this game to turn into a physical affair, with neither team connecting on too many big plays.
This total is likely this high because of the reputation of these two programs heading into the opening week. Last year, BYU had an explosive offense and Arizona couldn’t stop a nosebleed. However, these teams are both going to look pretty different in 2021, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if this turns into a low-scoring game. There’s no guarantee that either of these teams will score 30 points.
PREDICTION: Under 54.5 (-110)
BYU vs Arizona betting card
- Arizona +12.5 (-110)
- Under 54.5 (-110)
Picks made on 09/02/2021 at 11:45 p.m. ET
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