The final installment of a three-game Friday night slate features an all-Mountain West clash between the 2-0 Air Force Falcons and 1-1 Utah State Aggies. Who emerges victorious?
Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and an Air Force vs. Utah State prediction.
Air Force vs. Utah State Betting and DFS Preview
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Air Force vs. Utah State odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page right here.
- Spread
Air Force -10 - Moneyline
Air Force -340, Utah State +270 - Over/Under
44 points - Game time
8:00 p.m. ET - Location
Falcon Stadium, USAF Academy, CO - Predicted Weather at Kick
50 degrees, 8-10 mph winds, cloudy - How to Watch
- FuboTV, CBS Sports Network
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Feeling like getting flush on the Falcons? Looking to place a stake on Utah State?
If you’re going to take advantage of the Air Force vs. Utah State odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
We normally kick off our college football betting previews and predictions by discussing the moneyline, but the Air Force vs. Utah State odds spread is extremely interesting. The Aggies are 2-0 against the spread after a closer-than-expected game with Iowa and a spanking of Idaho State.
Meanwhile, Air Force is 0-2 after two narrower-than-expected victories.
There’s a 10-point spread in Air Force’s favor, but just three of the nine modern-era clashes between the two teams have seen a winning margin of more than 10 points. I’m willing to bet that Utah State continues its betting form into Week 3 and covers the spread. We’ll touch on the moneyline further below.
Just one of the 10 all-time encounters between Air Force and Utah State has failed to cover the 44-point over/under line being offered by DraftKings Sportsbook, and the two teams should combine to hit the over once more. Just once.
I’d be more confident in the spread bet than the over/under if you were looking to lay down some money on one or the other.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Air Force Depth Chart | Utah State Depth Chart
- QB Zachar Larrier, Air Force ($9.800)
- QB Cooper Legas, Utah State ($8,200)
- RB Owen Burk, Air Force ($8,500)
- RB Emmanuel Michel, Air Force ($6,100)
- RB Robert Briggs, Utah State ($5,400)
- RB Davon Booth, Utah State ($5,200)
- RB Rahsul Faison, Utah State ($5,100)
- RB John Lee Eldridge III, Air Force ($4,900)
- WR Terrell Vaughn, Utah State ($9,200)
- WR Jalen Royals, Utah State ($6,200)
- WR Micah Davis, Utah State ($5,800)
- WR Otto Tia, Utah State ($5,500)
- WR Kyle Van Leeuwen, Utah State ($5,300)
- WR Cade Harris, Air Force ($4,500)
- WR Dane Kinamon, Air Force ($4,100)
- WR Jared Roznos, Air Force ($4,000)
- TE Broc Lane, Utah State ($5,000)
- TE James Bryant, Air Force ($4,000)
There are three Friday college football games to compile your DFS team from in Week 3. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, then a “superflex” than can be any of the above or you can also select a tight end in the superflex spot.
With Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa and Army’s Bryson Daily both playing on this slate, quarterbacks aren’t likely to figure in your Air Force vs. Utah State picks for DFS purposes.
That said, if value restricts your QB options in the superflex position, Zac Larrier currently has more fantasy points than UTSA’s Frank Harris and his opposite number in this game, Cooper Legas.
If you need a wide receiver option from this game, Terrell Vaughn is your guy. The Utah State wide receiver has dominated targets for the Aggies, almost tripling the number of his closest teammate. He’s also the leading touchdown producer for the team, with three scores through two games.
Air Force has the least pass attempts of any service academy in 2023.
Both running back rooms are complicated from a fantasy perspective, muddying your Air Force vs. Utah State picks. There’s no clear RB1 for the Aggies, with three guys splitting the carries equally. Davon Booth has the most scores, but Rahsul Faison leads the way in yardage. Owen Burk could be a low-value add, leading the Falcon RB room in TDs and the most carries.
Prediction for Air Force vs. Utah State
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Air Force vs. Utah State odds and some DFS picks and it’s time to close this thing out with our Air Force vs. Utah State prediction. Can Air Force continue winning in 2023 and assert itself as a Mountain West force, or are Utah State about to embark on another tilt at the conference title like they did in 2021?
While the two teams are tied at 5-5 entering this game, Utah State has won the previous two encounters, including a 49-45 win at Air Force during their Mountain West title-winning season in 2021. Recent history is with the Aggies, and there are several reasons to believe they can upset their conference opponent as an underdog on Friday night.
They’re offensively strong, with QB Legas proving accurate and efficient early in the season. He has a reliable outlet in WR Vaughn, who is one of the best pass catchers in the Mountain West. Defensively, they’re much improved from last year despite their scoring defense, currently ranked 90th in the FBS.
With Jaiden Francois and Ike Larsen, their secondary is a strong suit.
The issue for Utah State is that Air Force, once again, has an exceptionally strong run defense that has the ability to neutralize the main catalyst of the Aggies offense. It’s a small sample size, but the Falcons have allowed just 1.41 yards per carry and zero rushing touchdowns so far this year.
It’ll be a closer game than expected, but Air Force has enough on offense to steal a win.
Prediction: Air Force 24, Utah State 21