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Utah vs. Baylor Prediction, Odds, Trends and Key Players for College Football Week 2

Utah is No. 14 in the country after beating Florida at home 24-11 last week. Baylor is 0-1 after a loss to Texas State in Waco.

By Josh Yourish

Utah Utes quarterback Nate Johnson (13)
Utah Utes quarterback Nate Johnson (13) / Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports
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One of the biggest surprises of Week 1 across College Football was Baylor falling to Texas State at home, 42-31 and it might get worse for the Bears. Head coach Dave Aranda’s team has also lost their starting quarterback, Blake Shapen for 2-3 weeks with an MCL injury. 

The No. 14 Utah Utes didn’t have any problems in Week 1 playing with a backup QB. Cam Rising wasn’t ready to start the year after his knee injury in the Rose Bowl, but Bryson Barnes and Nate Johnson led the team to a 24-11 win over Florida at home. 

Kyle Wittingham’s Utes are favored on the road this week and if you’re interested in betting this matchup, take advantage of this promo from the DraftKing Sportsbook. Click the link below, sign up, deposit $5, and collect $200 in bonus bets, win or lose. 

Now, let’s check out the odds for Utah and Baylor. 

Utah vs. Baylor Odds, Spread and Total

Baylor vs. Utah Betting Trends

  • Baylor is 0-1 against the spread (ATS) this year
  • The OVER is 1-0 in Baylor’s games this year
  • Baylor is 0-1 straight up as a favorite
  • Utah is 1-0 ATS this year
  • The UNDER is 1-0 in Utah’s games

Utah vs. Baylor How to Watch

  • Date: Saturday, September 9
  • Game Time: 12:00 PM EST
  • Venue: McLane Stadium
  • How to Watch (TV): ESPN
  • Utah Record: 1-0
  • Baylor Record: 0-1

Utah vs. Baylor Key Players to Watch

Utah

Nate Johnson: With Cam Rising out in Week 1 it was Bryson Barnes who took over as QB1, however, Nate Johnson still took snaps at quarterback and was electric as a runner. Johnson went 3-for-4 as a passer, but just for six yards. As a runner, he went for 45 yards on six carries with a 27-yard touchdown run. Even if Rising is healthy enough to play, Johnson will keep getting snaps as a dual-threat option and he seems to provide a nice change of pace for Utah. 

Baylor

Sawyer Robertson: Blake Shapen is out for 2-3 weeks with an MCL injury, so it’ll be Mississippi State transfer Sawyer Robertson trying to save Baylor’s season after the Week 1 loss. Robertson went 6-for-11 for 23 yards with one interception as a freshman last year for the Bulldogs. In Week 1 he completed six of his 12 throws for 113 yards and an interception. He also had a run of 31 yards.  

Utah vs. Baylor Prediction and Pick

The Bears looked really bad on defense last week, allowing 42 points to Texas State, but Utah may not be able to score like the Bobcats did. Even in the loss, Baylor outgained Texas State, 524-441 and finished the game gaining 6.9 yards per play. It’s a definite downgrade going to Sawyer Robertson, but Utah is also playing a backup QB. 

Florida should have been able to hang around with Utah much more. They gained 346 yards in the game compared to Utah’s 270, but Florida only ran the ball for 13 yards. Utah only went 3/13 on third down and punted six times. 

They got a gift of an interception from Graham Mertz that went off the hands of a Florida receiver and gave Utah the ball at Florida’s 13 yard line, which turned into points. The Utes also started the game with a 70-yard bomb touchdown to Money Parks, so they weren’t exactly putting drives together. 

Utah’s defense is for real and Cole Bishop was all over the field with 11 total tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble, but I don’t trust their offense to pull away from Baylor and cover this number. All of the public money will be on Utah, but I’ll take the Bears. 

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change

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