Over/under set high for 2 out of 3 Utah teams


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

SALT LAKE CITY — When it comes to win totals for three Utah football programs, the wise guys like two teams and apparently don’t think much of the third.

According to the Bovada website, the over/under betting line is 9.5 wins for Utah State and BYU and a mere 4.5 wins for Utah. This pertains to the 12 regular-season games and not any bowl or conference championship games.

Starting with BYU, here is my reaction:

BYU

Combined with a relatively soft schedule, the Cougars have enough talent to reach 10 wins. It’s even possible to argue that anything less than double digits would result in a disappointing season.

As much as the schedule is easier compared to last season and the 2015 slate, it won’t be the primary reason if BYU hits the 10-win plateau for the sixth time in Bronco Mendenhall’s 10 seasons.

The offense, at least on paper, is loaded with talent at the skill positions, obviously led by quarterback Taysom Hill. If the junior can improve on his mediocre 53 percent completion rate, the Cougars are poised for a big season.

Accounting for another soft November, the schedule practically guarantees eight wins. The games in question are on the road against Texas, Central Florida and Boise State. Expected to have a prolific offense, Houston also figures to pose a threat at LaVell Edwards Stadium.

Related:

BYU should be good enough to win at least two of the projected four tough games. The bet is to go with the over on 9.5 wins.

Utah

Two consecutive losing seasons have created awfully low expectations for the Utes. This is best illustrated by setting the over/under at only 4.5 wins. If the under turns out to be accurate, it could lead to wholesale changes, starting at the top of the athletic department and trickling down to the coaching staff.

The schedule does absolutely no favors for Utah, which could end up playing half its games against ranked teams. Unlike the glory years in the Mountain West, Utah’s only gimme is the season-opener against Idaho State.

With a September featuring home games against Fresno State and Washington State sandwiched around a trip to play Michigan in the Big House, the Utes had better get off to a fast start. They also would be well-served to win at Oregon State and Colorado along with beating Arizona at home.

Beginning Oct. 25, the Utes alternate a brutal stretch of home and away games against USC, Arizona State, Oregon and Stanford. The Oct. 4 game against UCLA in the Rose Bowl also will be difficult.

Related:

But 4.5 wins is a low amount. Even with a host of quarterback injuries and struggles, the Utes still managed five wins each of the last two seasons.

Quarterback injuries won’t be a valid reason for problems this season, not with six signal-callers on scholarship and eligible. If it’s not incumbent Travis Wilson, then some other quarterback needs to play well.

Ideally, to ease the pressure on the program, the Utes need to get six wins and become bowl eligible. Go with the over on 4.5 wins.

Utah State

The Aggies present the biggest challenge of the three in-state schools to predict the number of wins. Except for a home game against hapless Hawaii, a case can be made that the other seven Mountain West teams on the schedule will be better than last season.

Utah State also should be better, provided Chuckie Keeton returns to full health. If the senior quarterback returns to the form he displayed before a season-ending knee injury last October, the Aggies will be a threat to again represent the Mountain Division in the conference championship game.

At the minimum, the Aggies should get eight wins. With a non-conference schedule that includes Tennessee, Idaho State, Wake Forrest and Arkansas State, a total of nine wins are entirely possible.

Anything less than a 6-2 conference record would be disappointing. A 7-1 record would go a long way toward a great season.

Although not as confident as the BYU and Utah predictions, go with the over on 9.5 wins.

Related stories

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

Sports

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast