It will be a rare occurrence in Reno on Saturday when the Arizona Wildcats visit the Wolf Pack for the first time. Nevada will host a Pac-12 school for just the fourth time since 2000. The good news for Nevada is that they won two of the previous three games. The bad news is none of the teams were ranked as high as Arizona.
ODDS
The opening line has Arizona pegged as an 11-point favorite with a total of 62. There’s been little movement on both lines and with teams more concerned with offense than playing defense, the over looks like a smart play.
KEY MISMATCH
Arizona O-line against Nevada D-line
While sacks aren’t the only indicator of how well a defensive front plays, they are the only real tangible statistic for defensive linemen. Going against FCS opponent UC Davis, Nevada was credited with just one sack against the Aggies on 47 pass attempts from quarterback Ben Scott. Again, that number is misleading since UC Davis trailed the entire game, was forced to pass and the Nevada defenders were in more of a prevent mode. But if the Wolf Pack is unable to get to Arizona signal-caller Anu Solomon with their base scheme and must rely on blitz packages, the sneaky Solomon will exploit the Wolf Pack defense and could put up big numbers. This looks like a matchup that could greatly favor Arizona.
KEY STAT
9.5 – Okay, it’s only one game and it was against FCS UC Davis, but Nevada running back Don Jackson is averaging an astounding 9.5 yards per carry. The senior went off for 124 yards on 13 carries with two touchdowns last week against the Aggies and averages 4.8 yards per carry during his career.
BETTING ANGLE
Arizona’s Scooby Wright was the best defensive player in the nation in 2014 and he has the hardware to prove it. But Wright, a junior linebacker, won’t suit up for the Wildcats after sustaining a meniscus tear in the team’s season-opener against Texas-San Antonio last week. And while he’s not done for the year, he is out for an extended period of time. And you know Nevada coach Brian Polian and quarterback Tyler Stewart will try to take advantage of his absence. “The loss of Wright, they’ll feel that. He’s just a terrific player. He’s one of those guys when you watch the tape preparing, you just giggle when you watch him play because he’s fun to watch and he’s so good. He did everything for them,” Polian said.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Scooby Wright won’t be menacing the Wolf Pack from his linebacker position so you’d think Stewart and Jackson might be feeling a little bit better about their chances. But Arizona isn’t just about Scooby. The Wildcats possess a very athletic front and possibly the best secondary in the Pac-12. They struggled with the loss of their leader and squeaked by Texas-San Antonio last week. With a week of preparation and the return of several projected starters from injuries and suspensions, the Wildcats will be a different looking team. So the Wolf Pack better not get too comfortable knowing that Wright is not playing.
Arizona 38, Nevada 24
The college football odds for this game were first available at BookMaker Sportsbook. The Wildcats were pegged as 11-point chalk while the total opened at 62. Minute-by-minute spreads, totals and props are available for this game using the live betting platform at BookMaker.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! The game between the Arizona Wildcats and Nevada Wolf Pack will start at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at Mackay Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS Sports Network.
