by Rod Pearson
Thursday, Oct 16, 2025
Game Time: 8:00 pm ET, Saturday, October 18, 2025
Venue: LaVell Edwards Stadium (LES), Provo, UT
Where to Watch: FOX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: Utah -3.5, BYU +3.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: Utah -3, BYU +3; Over/Under: 49 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: Utah -3.5, BYU +3.5; Over/Under: 48.5 points
Season Record
Utah Utes: 5-1 (2-1) (4th place, Big 12)
BYU Cougars: 6-0 (3-0) (2nd place, Big 12)
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Recent Form
Utah Utes: won their last game at home against the Arizona State Sun Devils 42-10.
BYU Cougars: won their last game on the road against the Arizona Wildcats 33-27 in overtime.
Utah Utes vs BYU Cougars Preview and Analysis
Utah is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 2-1 record in their conference games too. They are 2-1 in their home games, 3-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against Arizona State 42-10. Devon Dampier was the starting QB and he completed 7/12 passes for 104 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Devon Dampier led the team in rushing yards with 120 and 3 TDs. Ryan Davis led the receivers with 68 receiving yards on 3 receptions. Jackson Bennee led the defense in that game with 5 solo tackles and 3 assisted tackles while John Henry Daley led the defense in sacks with 1.5. No one on the defense came away with an interception for them in that one.
BYU is entering this game with a 6-0 record overall and they have a 3-0 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 3-0 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They won their last game against Arizona 33-27 in OT. Bear Bachmeier was the starting QB and he completed 12/29 passes for 172 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. LJ Martin led the team in rushing yards with 162 and 1 TD. Parker Kingston led the receivers with 117 receiving yards on 5 receptions and 1 TD. Siale Esera led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 10 assisted tackles while no one on the defense recorded a sack for them. Isaiah Glasker came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Utah vs BYU Prediction
The current betting odds have BYU listed as a 3.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. BYU has looked great in their games this season with their 6-0 record overall and their 3-0 conference record which has them right near the top of the Big 12. They are off a 33-27 win over Arizona in their last one and they continue to find ways to win games, even when they are down. Their offense has looked good lately and their defense has looked great all season as they don't give up many points in their games. Now they are coming back home against one of their biggest rivals and they are going to bring their best effort for this one. Meanwhile, Utah has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall and their 2-1 conference record which has them higher in the Big 12. Their only loss this year came at home to Texas Tech who is starting to look like the best team in the Big 12 by far, but Utah is off a 42-10 win over Arizona State in their last one and they have been rolling over most of their opponents all year. Their offense has looked great, but they struggled a lot on their own field when they faced a great defense in Texas Tech, and they are going to be facing another great defense here. This time they will be on the road too so this isn't a great situation for that offense. This is going to be a really tight game between two rivals and the game will likely be decided by a field goal either way. The best way to place a bet here is on BYU to cover the spread in this game.
Utah BYU Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 18, 2025 (8:00 pm ET start time) is BYU 23 Utah 20.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
Utah Utes: 7-2 ATS after a win by 17 or more points. 5-1 ATS after scoring 37 points or more last game. 5-2 ATS when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 14-7 UNDER as a favorite. 6-3 UNDER versus good rushing teams - averaging 200 rushing yards/game or more.
BYU Cougars: 43-60 ATS off a road win. 24-33 ATS off a road win against a conference rival. 17-9 UNDER as a home underdog of 7 points or less. 49-23 UNDER versus good rushing teams - averaging 200 rushing yards/game or more. 26-14 UNDER vs. good defensive teams who give up 17 or less points/game.
Key Injuries
Utah Utes: G. Mareko (LB) Out - Undisclosed. I. Garcia (OG) Out - Undisclosed. P. Fitzgerald (DL) Out - Undisclosed. J. Sovereign (S) Out - Undisclosed. N. Ritchie (S) Out - Undisclosed. H. Andrews (TE) Out - Undisclosed. D. Zipperer (WR) Out - Undisclosed. R. Evans (S) Out - Undisclosed.
BYU Cougars: R. Damuni (S) Doubtful - Undisclosed. T. Prassas (S) Out - Undisclosed. A. Purcell (DL) Probable - Undisclosed. C. Bryant-Strother (LB) Out - Undisclosed. M. McKenzie (CB) Out - Undisclosed. S. Moa (RB) Out - Undisclosed. J. Phillips (WR) Out - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“You saw some of the moves he made tonight. He just wasn’t capable of making those moves last few weeks. We're elated he's back to 100 percent.” - Kyle Whittingham after his team’s win against ASU in their last game.
“You’ve got to enjoy this — it’s a lot of fun. There are a lot of things to keep building off of, but we’ll worry about that on Monday. I think we owe it to ourselves, owe it to our team and this program, to relish the victory.” - Kalani Sitake after his team’s win against Arizona in their last game.
Starting Lineups
Utah Utes
WR Merriweather, Tobias
WR Davis, Ryan
WR Buchanan, JJ
TE Bentley, Dallen
QB Dampier, Devon
RB Parker, Wayshawn
BYU Cougars
WR Roberts, Chase
WR Hagen, Cody
WR Kingston, Parker
TE Ryan, Carsen
QB Bachmeier, Bear
RB Martin, LJ
Statistical Leaders
Utah Utes
Passing: Devon Dampier (1,131)
Rushing: Devon Dampier (378)
Receiving: Ryan Davis (416)
Touchdowns: NaQuari Rogers (6)
BYU Cougars
Passing: Bear Bachmeier (1,220)
Rushing: LJ Martin (652)
Receiving: Chase Roberts (420)
Touchdowns: Bear Bachmeier (7)
Coaches:
Utah Utes: Kyle Whittingham (22nd season)
BYU Cougars: Kalani Sitake (10th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
