The Arizona State Sun Devils look to be in the driver's seat in the PAC-12 standings, sitting at 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference play.
Next up is a battle against the Utah Utes on Saturday in what’s expected to be a very close PAC-12 after dark nightcap. The oddsmakers expect the Sun Devils to be tested on the road in Salt Lake City, as the line sits at only -1 in their favor as of Thursday morning. Will they continue their superb play in conference games, or will the Utes pull off the upset at home?
Find out with our free college betting picks and predictions for Arizona State vs. Utah on October 16.
Arizona State vs Utah odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
Arizona State opened as a 1-point favorite. The line moved to a pick‘em for a bit on some books, but has moved back to -1 as of Thursday morning. The total opened at 50.5 but has jumped slightly to 51. 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 Utah picks
Picks made on 10/14/2021 at 11:23 a.m. ET.
Click on each pick to jump to the full analysis.
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Arizona State vs Utah game info
• Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
• Date: Saturday, October 16, 2021
• Time: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN
Arizona State vs Utah betting preview
Weather
Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key injuries
Arizona State: Johnny Wilson WR (Questionable), D.J. Davidson DL (Questionable), Jermayne Lole DL (Out), Chase Lucas DB (Questionable).
Utah: JaTravis Broughton CB (Out), Viane Moala DL (Out), Cole Bishop S (Questionable).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 5-1 in the Utes' last six games following a straight up win. Find more NCAA betting trends for Arizona State vs. Utah.
Arizona State vs Utah predictions
Utah +1 (-110)
Arizona State has looked like a complete team in 2021, overwhelming PAC-12 competition with a strong running game and solid defense. Now that I have that out of the way, let’s focus on why I’m taking Utah in this spot.
Salt Lake City is a tough place for visiting teams to play — it’s the simple truth. The Utes have won 15 of their last 16 home games.
The last time Arizona State played Utah, the Utes came away victorious 21-3 en route to derailing the Sun Devils’ season. That team entered the contest 5-1 and ranked in the AP Poll, which is very similar to this week’s matchup.
Utah got off to a shaky start but has shown signs of progress in recent weeks. The Utes have looked like a different team since switching to Cam Rising at quarterback. The pro-style quarterback out of high school has completed 66 percent of his passes for seven touchdowns and no interceptions. He earned PAC-12 offensive player of the week honors a week ago after throwing for 306 yards and three scores.
The Utes have won two straight under Rising, and the two losses early in the year have aged well — BYU and San Diego State are both ranked in the Top 25.
Every year, Utah is a well-coached team under Kyle Whittingham that overcomes relative talent gaps to remain competitive. This approach of developing players typically leads to a slow start, but Utah has come on strong in October. The Utes are 7-0 in their last seven games in October, all against PAC-12 competition.
We’ll back the Utes at home.
Under 51 (-110)
Arizona State games have only combined to go over 51 points once this season. The Sun Devils are a solid defensive unit and look to keep the ball on the ground offensively while draining the clock. They’re 124th in the country in plays per game, and Herm Edwards does not look to push the pace.
It may fall on quarterback Jayden Daniels to find the Over. While he’s one of the conference’s top signal callers, he’s only eclipsed 200 yards twice this season and will be playing on the road in the cold against a solid defense.
The Sun Devils' running game has been elite this season but faces arguably their stiffest test to date in a Utah front seven allowing only 3.6 yards per rush. Defensive end Mike Tafua already has 4.5 sacks on the season, bringing his career total to 24.5, while Devin Lloyd has been one of the best linebackers in the country with 54 tackles (nine for losses), two interceptions, and a pair of sacks.
Utah doesn’t look to push the tempo offensively, either, ranking 111th in the country in plays per game. We’ll take the Under in a matchup between two slow-paced and defensive-minded teams.
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