Anu Solomon is back, the ground game was productive, and there’s hope again in Tucson for a respectable season. More importantly, the Wildcats defense made an appearance. They look to continue the momentum of a thrashing delivered to Oregon State last week with a visit to Boulder on Saturday. The Buffaloes haven’t won a Pac-12 game in their last 13 tries and are just 3-8 SU in their last 11 home games.
ODDS
Arizona opened as an 8-point favorite with the total at 66. Colorado has struggled against conference foes losing 13 straight overall and their last seven at Folsom Field. The Buffs are 4-3 ATS in those home games, however.
KEY MISMATCH
The Buffaloes aren’t quite depleted at the inside linebacker spot, but they’re awful close. Colorado will go into Saturday’s game with its top three inside backers sidelined. Addison Gilliam has missed the last four games with a knee injury, Kenneth Olugbode missed last weekend’s game and Ryan Severson will not play. The list of replacements includes three freshmen and a sophomore. This isn’t a good week to be short on experienced inside linebackers. Arizona’s running game, directed by read-option quarterback Anu Solomon, ranks second in the Pac-12 at 298.5 yards a game. And the Wildcats lead the league in total offense at 530.2 yards and scoring offense with 42.3 points. Solomon, who returned last weekend for Arizona’s 44-7 rout of Oregon State after missing the previous game with a concussion, accounts for 241.6 yards of total offense a game. The Wildcats also feature a big offensive line blocking for Solomon and running back Nick Wilson, who averages 113.8 rushing yards per game.
KEY STAT
42.3 – Arizona’s points scored per game. The Wildcats lead the Pac-12 and are ranked 7th nationally in scoring average. Colorado surrenders 25.8 points per game overall and has allowed 44.5 in its two conference games.
BETTING ANGLE
For all the progress the Buffaloes have made – their three wins already surpass last season’s total – they still struggle in Pac-12 games. A 15-point loss to Arizona State last weekend was Colorado’s 13th straight in conference and 14th straight on the road in the Pac-12. The Buffs could be turning a corner in their third season under coach Mike MacIntyre, but wins within the conference must start to come sooner rather than later for the administration to stick with MacIntyre. Colorado is 1-19 in the Pac-12 in MacIntyre’s three seasons and has just four conference wins since joining the Pac in 2011.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Solomon is the guy that makes the Arizona offense work. The game he missed with a concussion the Wildcats managed a season-low 17 points and were blasted by Stanford. He also missed a good portion of the UCLA game the week prior, and the Cats lost that one, too. Those are the only losses Arizona has suffered this season. In his return last weekend, Solomon passed for 276 yards before sitting out the fourth quarter, and by his own admission was a little rusty. While the offense racked up 645 yards of offense, the more impressive showing came from the defense. After getting torched for 111 points combined in the previous two games, the Cats allowed a season-low to the Beavs. The unit was aided by the move of outside linebacker Jake Matthews to the middle and inserting Paul Magloire into Matthews’ old spot. The move paid off with dominant effort. The Buffaloes will move the football behind quarterback Sefo Liufau and running back Philip Lindsay, but the Wildcats will extend Colorado’s woes in the conference.
Arizona 37, Colorado 26
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -8 in favor of the Wildcats. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 66. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Arizona Wildcats and Colorado Buffaloes will take place Saturday, October 17, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET at Folsom Field. The contest will be broadcast live on FS1.
