The Arizona Wildcats will look to spoil the Big 12 home opener for the undefeated No. 10-ranked Utah Utes in a late-night matchup with conference title implications on the line.
Here are the latest betting odds, spread analysis, and our final prediction for Arizona vs. Utah in this Week 5 showdown in Salt Lake City.
Arizona vs. Utah Betting and DFS Preview
All Arizona vs. Utah odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024.
- Spread
Utah -12 - Moneyline
Arizona +330, Utah -425 - Over/Under
50.5 - Game Time
Saturday, Sept. 28, 10:15 p.m. ET - Location
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City - Predicted Weather at Kick
72 degrees, six mph wind, clear and very warm - How To Watch
ESPN
After last week’s “will he or won’t he” saga with Cam Rising ending as a DNP, the Utes opened as a 13.5-point favorite and saw the line drop to 12 over time. Utah is 2-2 against the spread (ATS) while Arizona is a straight-up 0-3.
MORE: CFN Betting Parlay Calculator
Rising is a big part of what Utah wants to do offensively, but after last week, Isaac Wilson has proved capable in his stead if Rising can’t go again this week; however, the status of Utah’s signal caller may be something to watch if you want to bet the spread.
Utah’s defense was suffocating until the fourth quarter last week, and they should be buoyed by cooler temperatures and a late-night kick that will surely have Rice-Eccles rocking. Given that, and Utah’s lower output with Wilson at the helm, the under looks like a good play here at 50.5, especially if Utah can find a way to limit the outstanding Tetairoa McMillan.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
- QB Noah Fifita, Arizona
- QB Cam Rising OR Isaac Wilson, Utah
- RB Quali Conley, Arizona
- WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
- WR Montana Lemonious-Craig, Arizona
- RB Micah Bernard, Utah
- WR Dorian Singer, Utah
- TE Brant Kuithe, Utah
McMillan is a machine in the passing game, he has four touchdowns on the season and averages almost 20 yards per reception with 23 catches. He and Noah Fifita can really cook when they are in rhythm, as evidenced by the 304 yards McMillan had against New Mexico.
Brant Kuithe had a solid outing last week, with two touchdowns — one rushing and one receiving. Seems as though Kuithe is Mr. Reliable regardless of who is playing quarterback, and while Micah Bernard had a huge game last week, the wrinkle of Kuithe in the wildcat formation makes for a unique play.
Prediction for Arizona vs. Utah
At the start of the season, this looked like it could be one of the biggest games on the Big 12 schedule, but after the Wildcats lost to Kansas State on the road, the matchup lost some luster. It still holds significance though, as Arizona can effectively tip the conference on its head with a win.
Arizona has struggled to find a way to be more than just the McMillan-Fifita show, and that’s been evident on third down where they have yet to unlock any kind of magic to get them above a 36% conversion rate. Fifita has also lost three passes to interceptions, and Arizona can’t afford to give the ball away against a Utah defense that held Oklahoma State well below its season-average passing last week at 237 yards.
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Utah can win this game even if Wilson plays — he showed flashes of being an accurate passer even as Oklahoma State brought multiple defenders. His biggest weapon might be the emergence of Bernard as the lead running back for Utah. Bernard had a huge game with 182 yards, and while 25 carries is a lot, there are other backs on the roster for Utah who have run the ball well.
Arizona’s defense seems to be the missing link in this one. The Wildcats rank 72nd in total defense and allow 26.7 points per game compared to Utah’s, which allows 13. That’s a sizeable margin, and unless Arizona can generate some plays on special teams as they have in years past, the defense may be on the field too much to allow Fifita and McMillan to test the Utah secondary.
That, along with a rowdy home crowd, is enough to give Utah the edge in this one.
Prediction: Utah 35, Arizona 28
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