If you didn’t live in Utah, you probably wouldn’t know that the rivalry between the Utah State Aggies and BYU Cougars is one of the low-key fiercest non-conference rivalry games in the country. Utah State fans troll BYU by calling the school BYU-P or BYU-Provo, while BYU fans counter by pointing to their national championship and overall success. This will be the 88th meeting between the schools, and Utah State will look to win The Old Wagon Wheel for the second straight year.
This contest in Week 6 will go down Friday, October 5, 2018 at 9 p.m. ET at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Utah State +2.5
BYU -2.5
Total Check Back Later
Odds Analysis
There hasn’t been any movement on this game since the NCAAF betting odds were released on Sunday evening. However, it’s likely the sharp action will be on Utah State, while the public action will be on BYU. The Cougars are a much bigger brand with a much larger fanbase and were ranked in the AP Top 25 before their loss to Washington last week. There’s a reason Utah State is just a 2.5-point underdog though.
The total for this game will be released on Monday evening.
Matchup to Watch
BYU’s offense has not been good this year. If all you’ve seen of BYU was their huge upset win over Wisconsin, you might think the offense is just as good as some of the program’s teams in the past, but that’s not the case. They are ranked outside the top 100 in total offense according to S&P+, and the Cougars haven’t been impressive in either phase of the game.
Tanner Mangum’s senior year has been a rocky one. Mangum shined as a freshman in 2015, but he backed up Taysom Hill in 2016, and he saw his season cut short early last year. A lot was expected of him as a senior, especially after he beat out highly-touted freshman Zach Wilson for the starting job. Unfortunately, he has only had a couple of good games, and he is throwing underneath way too much. He is averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt this season, and it’s tough to consistently move the sticks with those numbers.
The running game hasn’t been great either. Squally Canada has one of the best names in college football, and he is averaging almost five yards per carry, but as a whole the ground game is picking up only 3.8 yards per carry.
Utah State has an above average defense, and the Aggies could give Mangum and Canada fits.
Key Stats
The Aggies are very balanced on offense. They have thrown the ball just 11 more times than they have run it this season, and sophomore Jordan Love has looked better with a year of experience under his belt. He threw for over 300 yards against Michigan State in the season opener, and he has looked sharp in each of Utah State’s last two games.
Utah State’s running game has looked strong too, taking the pressure off of Love. Gerold Bright and Darwin Thompson have been very explosive, and the duo are averaging eight yards per carry.
Live Betting Preview
The Aggies got their bye at the perfect time. They have had an extra week to prepare for BYU and rest up after their defense was on the field for nearly 44 minutes two weeks ago against Air Force. Sharps would have loved fading them here if they were playing on a short week right after that game, and that would have led to BYU being favored by more than a field goal per the CFB betting odds.
This will be Utah State’s second road game of the season, but the Aggies didn’t shrink under the bright lights on the road against Michigan State. They led the Spartans late in the fourth quarter, and Love performed well in the moment. Utah State is the right side in this one, and don’t be afraid to jump in throughout the game as the live betting numbers will lean towards BYU.
College Football Odds: Utah State 30, BYU 24
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