Arizona Wildcats vs Utah Utes Matchup

Check out our free Arizona Wildcats vs Utah Utes pick and preview for this CFB week 5 game in Salt Lake City. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 5 CFB matchup.

ESPN will be covering this week five college football matchup between the Arizona Wildcats and Utah Utes, with kick-off set for 10:15 ET at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. Utah is the -11.5 point favorite at home, with the over/under line at 50.5 points. The Utes are 4-0 on the season, while the Wildcats come in with a 2-1 record.

Wildcats vs. Utes Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: Arizona Wildcats at Utah Utes
Where: Salt Lake City at Rice-Eccles Stadium
Date: Saturday, September 28th
Betting Odds UTAH -11.5, ARZ +356 | UTAH -471 O/U 50.5

Wildcats Preview:

Arizona is looking to bounce back after a 31-7 road loss to Kansas State. The Wildcats, who were +7 point underdogs, not only fell short of the straight-up win but also failed to cover the spread. This game's over/under was set at 61 points, but the combined score of 38 points fell short, resulting in an under.

Arizona, now 2-1 for the season, was tied 7-7 after the first quarter but was shut out in the second quarter, leading to a 14-7 deficit at halftime. Kansas State then outscored Arizona 14-0 in the third quarter, and the Wildcats managed just a field goal in the fourth quarter.

Wildcats Offense Breakdown

Arizona's offense, led by quarterback Noah Fifita, finished with 324 total yards in their 31-7 loss to Kansas State. Fifita completed 61.9% of his passes for 268 yards, with a passer rating of 70.34. Tetairoa McMillan was his top target, hauling in 11 receptions for 138 yards.

The Wildcats' offense managed to pick up 16 first downs but struggled to establish a running game, gaining just 56 yards on 19 carries. Quali Conley led the team in rushing with 48 yards on 14 attempts, including one rushing touchdown. Arizona's offense will be looking to improve their efficiency and put more points on the board in their next game.

Wildcats Team Defense

Arizona's defense will be looking to improve after giving up 367 total yards in their last game. The Wildcats' run defense was particularly weak, allowing 228 yards on the ground. Despite this, they managed to hold Kansas State to 31 points. Arizona's secondary was more effective, picking off two passes and limiting their opponents to 139 passing yards on 16 completions.

Utes Preview:

Utes Offense Breakdown

Utah's offense was powered by a strong ground game in their 22-19 win over Oklahoma State, with the Utes rushing for 250 yards and a touchdown. Micah Bernard led the way on the ground, rushing 182 yards on 25 carries, averaging 7.3 yards per attempt. The Utes finished with 457 total yards and 20 first downs.

Isaac Wilson completed 17 of 29 passes for 207 yards and a touchdown, with Dorian Singer leading the receiving corps with seven catches for 95 yards.

Utes Team Defense

Utah's defense was dominant in their most recent game, allowing just 48 rushing yards on 15 attempts. The Utes gave up a total of 285 yards and 19 completions on 44 pass attempts. Despite allowing two passing touchdowns, Utah's defense came up with two interceptions and held Oklahoma State to just 11 first downs in their 22-19 win.

Wildcats vs Utes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

In their last ten games away from home, the Arizona Wildcats have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 6-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 32 points per game in this stretch.
Across the Utah Utes last five home games, the team averaged 22 points per game while allowing 26. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 2-3 straight-up.
Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Arizona Wildcats have gone 7-3 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Utah Utes have an overall record of 3-0 while going 1-2 against the spread.