ESPN Friday Night College Football: Utah State vs. BYU Free Pick
By Anthony Rome
(The Spread) – ESPN’s Friday Night College Football Game of the Week will feature BYU and Utah State at 8:00PM ET tonight. Who holds the edge?
Odds: Oddsmakers have installed the host Cougars as 7.5-point home favorites over the Aggies, while the over/under total is currently sitting at 50.5 points. Utah State enters the game with a 1-2 overall record but is 2-1 against the spread, while BYU is 2-2 on the year 2-2 against the number.
Line Movement: Early action on Utah State pushed the spread down to 7 after BYU opened at 7.5, but since then the betting has been primarily on the Cougars. At one point the line was as high as 8, but it’s back down to 7.5 at the Las Vegas Hilton. The total has stayed consistent at 51.
Public Betting: Of the 20,000-plus wagers on today’s game, 53% of college football public bettors currently favor Utah State +7.5. This information is subject to change leading up to kickoff, however, so make sure you click on the “Public Betting” link provided to ensure that you’re viewing the most up-to-date public betting numbers.
College Football Free Pick: Take the under. According to latest college football trends, the under is 6-0 in the Cougars’ last six games on Friday and 6-0 in their last six contests versus the WAC. The under is also 7-1 in BYU’s eight games in September and 4-0 in the last four meetings between these two teams. While the Aggies rank 16th on offense and are averaging over 480 yards a game, the Cougars rank 111th offensively and are averaging just 68.0 yards per game on the ground. This should be a low-scoring affair.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 5 FREE PICK: UTAH STATE/BYU UNDER 50.5