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 Preview
All Arizona vs. Utah odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024.
- Spread
Utah -8.5 - Moneyline
Arizona +260, Utah -325 - Over/Under
47 - 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.
It should be noted that this line moved heavily in the days leading up to the game. What was once a Utah -12.5 spread, now sits at -8.5 just hours ahead of the kick. The total also significantly came down from over 50 to 47 total points.
Prediction for Arizona vs. Utah
At the beginning of the season, this looked like it might be one of the marquee games on the Big 12 slate. However, after the Wildcats’ loss to Kansas State on the road, the matchup lost some of its shine.
Still, Arizona has a chance to shake up the conference standings with a win.
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The Wildcats have struggled to diversify their offense beyond the McMillan-Fifita connection, which has been evident on third downs—where they’re converting just 36% of the time.
Fifita’s three interceptions have also been costly, and Arizona can’t afford turnovers against a Utah defense that just held Oklahoma State to 237 passing yards, well below their season average.
Even if Utah’s Wilson suits up, they can still pull this off, as he showed flashes of being an efficient passer under pressure against the Cowboys. The real key for Utah might be Bernard’s emergence as the lead back.
He racked up 182 yards on 25 carries last week, and with a deep running back rotation, Utah has the ground game to keep Arizona on its heels.
Arizona’s defense appears to be the weak link. Ranked 72nd in total defense and giving up 26.7 points per game, they’re a step behind Utah’s unit, which allows just 13 points per game. That gap could be a deciding factor unless Arizona can come up with special teams magic, as they have in previous seasons, to keep their defense from wearing down.
Combine that with a raucous home crowd, and Utah looks like the favorite to come out on top.
Prediction: Utah 35, Arizona 28
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