Baylor and Utah meet this Saturday as conference opponents in a non-conference matchup of undefeated teams from Week 1. The Bears will look for some revenge after losing at home last year, and Utah is coming off a strong showing with a healthy Cam Rising leading the offense.
In a matchup of veteran quarterbacks in Dequan Finn and Cam Rising, it could be the defenses that steal the show in this one.
Baylor vs. Utah Betting Preview
Dave Aranda is calling the plays on defense now, and he led the Bears to a 45-3 drubbing of Tarleton St behind an explosive first quarter that featured three touchdowns for the Baylor offense.
Utah will look to shore up some offensive line play and build more on a defensive effort that allowed just 79 yards on the ground against in-state FCS foe Southern Utah.
Who will emerge unscathed from a matchup of two unbeatens? Here are the latest betting odds and our final prediction for Baylor vs. Utah before Saturday’s showdown.
All Baylor vs. Utah odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Saturday, Sept. 7.
- Spread
Utah -15 - Moneyline
Utah -750, Baylor +525 - Over/Under
54.5 - Game time
3:30 p.m. ET - Location
Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, Utah - Predicted Weather at Kick
80 degrees, 7 mph winds, pleasant with sunshine - How to Watch
FOX
The Utes opened as 14.5-point favorites, with most of the public money going in Utah’s direction, bumping the over by a point to 54.5. Utah was 6-5-1 last year against the spread but already covered a 37-point spread in Week 1.
The over/under is likely a high play here due to both teams scoring a lot of points in their first games, but as Utah and Baylor are two defensively-minded programs, the under may be the move to make in this game.
Prediction for Baylor vs. Utah
In a unique matchup of conference foes that doesn’t count towards the conference record, the Baylor Bears head to Salt Lake City looking to avenge a fourth-quarter comeback loss to Utah last season in Waco.
The Bears will look to Finn, the talented transfer quarterback from Toledo, to improve on his opening performance, in which he tallied three touchdowns but threw two interceptions.
The Bears’ offense will need to establish a reliable ground attack against a feisty Utah defensive front that allowed just 79 yards on the ground in the home opener against FCS opponent SUU.
Defensively, the Utes will try to apply pressure from all angles and improve on a team total of five sacks. Van Fillinger totaled two sacks on his own, and the Bears will want to be aware of the senior defensive end as he will be let loose following the loss of cornerback Kenan Johnson for the season.
Utah’s offense will face a renewed Baylor defense with Aranda calling plays for the Bears. Keaton Thomas already has one interception on the year for Baylor from his linebacker position, and the matchup of Baylor’s back end against a tight end-heavy receiving group for Utah could be a critical component.
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The Bears will likely bring lots of pressure against a Utah trench unit that is still looking to gain experience at a few spots.
Overall, the Utes have more depth and experience, including a seasoned quarterback in Cam Rising. And while both programs like to flex their defensive muscles, this one ultimately will come down to who can move and protect the football, giving Utah the edge.
Prediction: Utah 34, Baylor 20
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