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There’s no doubt that the Utah Utes know they are walking into a dangerous situation this week. Utah is undefeated and ranked heading into the start of its Pac-12 schedule, but it knows that the Arizona Wildcats are going to be a tough challenge. The Utes opened as a field goal favorite for that very reason and many will have them on upset alert on Friday night. Arizona and Rich Rodriguez will look to play the part of spoiler and fulfill those predictions.
This matchup in Week 4 of the regular season will take place on Friday, September 22, 2017, at 10:30 p.m. ET at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. This game will be broadcast on FS1.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Utah -4
Arizona +4
Odds Analysis
Arizona handily covered the spread both of the times it was a big favorite, but failed to do the same in a similar situation two weeks ago. The Wildcats were a short home underdog against Houston, but couldn’t pull off the upset in a 19-16 loss. They struggled to move the ball all game long as Brandon Dawkins couldn’t get going against the Cougars intimidating front. That was also the one game for Arizona that went under as the Wildcats pushed their other two tilts over with ease.
Kyle Whittingham and Utah are undefeated and look the part of a team that is going to be a nuisance in conference play all year long. The Utes are also 3-0 ATS, but two of those wins have come by a combined two points. To be fair, we still don’t know how this team really is based on how bad all three of their opponents have looked, but Utah has at least looked good for its part.
Player to Watch
If the Wildcats are going to knock off the Utes, Brandon Dawkins is going to play an integral role in the upset. Dawkins has been up and down this season with his effectiveness at quarterback mostly being measured by his legs. He was able to pick up huge chunks of yardage with his legs in easy wins against Northern Arizona and UTEP, but failed to do the same thing in the loss to Houston. There, he managed to run for just two yards per carry and his passing numbers struggled as a result.
Dawkins is like a sleek new car that just can’t get out of the driveway. He seems to have all the tools to shine in Rich Rod’s offense, but hasn’t been able to put it all together just yet. If he does manage to do that, look out.
Key Stat
No team has been better at stopping the run than Utah this season. Although those numbers are helped by two blowout wins against lesser opponents, the Utes have allowed teams to pick up just 48 yards per game on the ground this season.
It doesn’t matter who Utah plugs in at defensive line, it just seems to work. The Utes have had tremendous success along the defensive line over the last two decades and even though they were replacing a lot of starters along their front, this is again one of the better units in college football. If Arizona can’t run against this defense, it won’t be able to win.
Free ATS Pick
These are two of the most underappreciated head coaches in college football. Neither one is at a school renowned for its ability to land talented players, but both have achieved success during their times here.
We’re going to back the Utes here even though this might be a trap game. Utah’s defensive front has just been too good and Arizona’s offense is too reliant on the run. There isn’t a natural passer on this team and without that threat, the Utes will be able to focus on stopping the Wildcats at the line.
College Football Odds: Utes 31, Wildcats 21
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