The Utah Utes travel to face the BYU Cougars in the 100th playing of the Holy War on Thursday night to help kick off the 2019 college football season.
Perhaps the greatest-named rivalry in college football will have its 100th installment on Thursday night as the Utah Utes travel to Provo to take on the BYU Cougars in the Holy War. The No. 14 ranked Utes with hopes of winning the Pac-12 aim to get the 2019 season started on the right track with a victory over their rivals.
Kyle Wittingham’s Utah team is quite balanced and dangerous. Quarterback Tyler Huntley is back healthy, as is star running back Zack Moss. That duo could provide the Utes with a ton of firepower on offense. And the defense isn’t anything to sleep on either, particularly with one of the most underrated defensive lines in the country.
As for BYU, they got a jolt from quarterback Zach Wilson when he took over at the end of 2018. He’s now entrenched as the starter and could provide that group with stability in the passing game. Grad transfer Ty’Son Williams will look to supplement that with a strong rushing attack. Where the Cougars could struggle, though, is with a defense that is lacking playmakers.
On paper, the Utes should have the advantage here. This is the Holy War, though, meaning all bets are off. These two teams always play one another close and, with the potency of both offenses, we should see that transpire once again in Provo.
How to watch and bet on Utah vs. BYU
Date: Thursday, Aug. 29
Start Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium – Provo, UT
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Point Spread: Utah -7
Moneyline: Utah -260, BYU +215
Over/Under: 48 (odds per Bovada)
Fans looking to bet should take BYU as a seven-point underdog as they have the talent on offense to keep things tight. The moneyline, however, should be a stay-away — but take the over given the offensive prowess of the two teams.
Prediction: The 100th edition of the Holy War should wind up being a back-and-forth offensive affair. While the Utes defense is stout, it has holes that the Cougars have the talent to ultimately exploit. Even still, BYU won’t have the answers for Moss and Huntley throughout the night, propelling Utah to the victory on Thursday night.