BYU (10-1, 6-1 MWC) at Utah (11-0, 7-0)
The Holy War, as the Brigham Young-Utah rivalry is called, has never meant more than this weekend’s game, with the unbeaten Utes 7.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.
It’s pretty simple for No. 7 Utah: Win and it claims the Mountain West title and a likely BCS bowl. Utah could be the first non-BCS team to earn a second BCS berth, adding to its 2004 Fiesta Bowl victory over Pittsburgh.
However, while the Utes have won 19 of their last 20 games dating to 2007, they have lost their past two meetings with BYU, both in the closing minute. And the No. 14 Cougars have a shot at a share of the Mountain West title and, and if they can win in a blowout, they have a remote shot of getting an automatic BCS slot by finishing in the top 12 and ahead of Boise State and Ball State.
Did I mention that it’s been 14 years since these teams met with both ranked, and that Utah’s 12-game win streak is tied for longest in the nation with Alabama and Texas Tech?
There is one significant injury bettors should be aware of: BYU tight end Dennis Pitta will be a game-time decision even though he says he will be able to play. Pitta, who ranks 14th nationally with nearly seven catches per game, suffered an MCL sprain in the fourth quarter of BYU’s 38-24 win over Air Force last week.
Speaking of receivers, both teams have red-hot ones. BYU junior receiver Austin Collie’s streak of 100-yard games is up to nine. He leads Division I-A with 1,315 receiving yards, also adding 15 touchdowns (seven in the past three games). Utah WR Freddie Brown has caught 20 passes for 215 yards and three touchdowns in the past two games.
Utah’s defense has allowed an average of just 11.4 points over the last five games, but it will face the best offense it has seen all season in Max Hall and the Cougars. Hall has 34 TD passes and has a completion percentage of 71.5 – fourth-best nationally.
As a bettor at WagerWeb.com, you may want to take BYU and the points. Why? Because 10 of the last 11 meetings have been decided by seven points or less.
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