Arizona State vs BYU Picks and Predictions: Cougars Up for the Challenge

The BYU Cougars are coming off a victory over the Utah Utes in the Holy War, so they’ll be feeling confident when they host the Arizona State Sun Devils at LaVell Edwards Stadium on Saturday, September 18. 

Will BYU, a 4.5-point underdog, earn three massive wins in a row over Pac-12 opponents in what should be an exciting Top-25 showdown?

Find out with our best free college football betting picks and predictions for Arizona State vs. BYU.

Arizona State vs BYU odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

Arizona State opened as a 2.5-point favorite in this game, but the team is now laying 4.5 points. The total in this game was only 50.5 at open, but it’s going to be 51.0 at most places and can even be seen as high as 51.5. With the consensus believing this one is going to go Under, it’s possible that sharp money is expecting a lot of points. Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right up until kickoff and be sure to check out the full college football odds before placing your bets.

Arizona State vs BYU picks

• BYU +4.5 (-120)
• Over 51.5 (-105)

Picks made on 9/15/2021 at 2:20 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.

Arizona State vs BYU game info

• Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
• Date: Saturday, September 18, 2021
• Time: 10:15 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN

Arizona State vs BYU betting preview

Weather

Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.

Key injuries

Arizona State: Jermayne Lole DL (Out), Amiri Johnson DL (Questionable), Jordan Banks LB (Questionable), Omarr Norman-Lott DL (Questionable), Jake Ray TE (Questionable).
BYU: Keenan Ellis DB (Questionable), Kody Epps WR (Questionable), Gunner Romney WR (Questionable), Max Tooley LB (Questionable), Brayden Cosper WR (Out).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.

Betting trend to know

The Cougars are 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as underdogs. Find more NCAA betting trends for Arizona State vs. BYU.

Arizona State vs BYU predictions

BYU +4.5 (-120)

Arizona State is coming off back-to-back 27-point victories, but the team’s performances have left a lot to be desired. The Sun Devils didn’t cover in either of those two home games — despite playing some miserable competition — and they now face a Cougars team that has looked great to start the year. Last week, BYU upset Utah, 26-17, as a 7-point home underdog in the Holy War, and that cover helped the Cougars move to 9-2 against the spread when coming off a straight-up win since the start of last season. 

This matchup looks like a decent one for the Cougars on paper, with the Sun Devils having what appears to be a mediocre rushing defense. Last year, Arizona State gave up 183.2 yards per game on the ground. The Sun Devils have only allowed 166 rushing yards through two games this year, but they played some miserable competition in those contests. Now they face a BYU team that has rushed for 392 yards through two games, and the Cougars have some serious toughness in the trenches.

Not only does BYU have a stable of running backs that can get the job done, but quarterback Jaren Hall is also a phenomenal runner. He rushed for 36 yards in the season opener against the Arizona Wildcats, and he followed it up with 92 yards rushing against the Utes. It helps the Cougars that Jermayne Lole is out indefinitely, as he’s an elite run stuffer. 

With the running game having been so successful for BYU, Hall hasn’t had to make too many tough throws in the passing game. He has thrown for only 347 yards through two games this season, but he has also gone for five touchdowns with no interceptions. As long as he continues to take care of the football, this is going to be a rock-solid offense, which is all BYU seems to need right now. 

The Cougars are clicking on the defensive side of the ball, where they actually only returned four starters from last year’s fourth-ranked scoring defense in the nation. However, it’s a well-coached group that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and the team has given up only 16.5 points per game through two contests this year. Containing Jayden Daniels and Rachaad White will be a whole different animal for the Cougars, but they do appear to be up for the challenge. That might not mean a dominant performance, but this Cougars defense can do enough to let Hall and Co. go out and win this one for BYU. 

It also helps that last week’s grind of matchup made BYU a bit more battle-tested than Arizona State, which hasn’t played a competitive game yet.   

Over 51.5 (-105)

Arizona State has some of the most explosive players in college football, so it’s not likely that the Sun Devils will be shut down in this game. Daniels is one of the better dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation and he’ll undoubtedly make some plays with his legs in this game.

White, meanwhile, had the highest yards per carry in the country in 2020, and he has already shown off his home run-hitting ability in 2021. Arizona State might not put up 35-plus points like it did last week, but the team can easily contribute to an Over. 

You should expect BYU to bring it offensively, too. The Cougars have shown off a great running game through two games this year and their competition hasn’t been bad, either. BYU will continue to run the ball well here but look for Hall to do even more as a passer in this game. He has shown off his arm talent and looks like he's capable of taking on a bigger role. 

It’s also worth noting that the Over is 6-0 in the six games that Arizona State has played as a road favorite under Herm Edwards. 

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