An Interesting Betting Affair
Bookmakers have the BYU Cougars favored to beat the dangerous Baylor Bears on Saturday, so it’s an interesting betting matchup.
The Bears and Cougars come off impressive opening wins, but with home ground advantage, the sportsbook favors the Cougars.
Let’s check the latest NCAAF picks, stats, injury reports, and NCAAF odds for Baylor vs BYU. We’ve plenty of NCAAF predictions for you to consider.
Bears Make Statement
The Bears are the ninth-ranked team in the country but enter this game as +135 underdogs.
We put that mostly down to playing at BYU, which is a tough environment. However, there is nothing wrong with the Bears form.
They scored a 69-10 win over Albany last week, which was an effortless victory, but they ended last season with wins over Oklahoma State and Ole Miss.
We believe they are good enough to contest a major bowl game and beating the Cougars would go a long way to making that happen.
Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen went 17-20 for 214 yards and two touchdowns. He continues to progress impressively and he could lead the Bears to a perfect 2-0 start.
NCAAF odds have them at +3, so a close contest is expected.
Cougars on the Prowl
There is a renewed confidence with the Cougars, who scored a 50-21 win over USF last week.
It was a classy effort from the independent outfit, but our only question is how they play against top-ranked teams.
They rarely face teams of Baylor’s quality and that’s a concern in a pressure game, especially in front of a crowd expecting the very best.
We’re not discrediting the talents of the team, but we wouldn’t have priced them as favorites to beat a proven Big 12 team.
Head coach Kalani Sitake was pleased with getting the year off to a winning start.
“Just really happy,” Sitake told Deseret.com. “We are 1-0 and looking forward to moving on and yeah, … great way to start a game.
“For the most part, defense holding them to 14 points, I am really happy with that. Special teams giving them seven points, I don’t like that. And I thought with the offense we could have scored a little more.”
Expectations can often outweigh reality, but if the Cougars want to show they mean business, a win over Baylor is the best way to show it. We just don’t think there’s much value in the current betting online price.
Baylor vs BYU Head-to-Head
Baylor and BYU haven’t met since 1984, so there is no recent history to go off.
They have met twice and it’s a 1-1 split.
Baylor vs BYU Game Information
- Game: Baylor (1-0) vs BYU (1-0)
- Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Utah
- Day/Time: Saturday, Sept. 10th, 10:15 p.m. ET
- Baylor vs BYU Live Stream: ESPN
Baylor vs BYU Betting Lines
| Team | Handicap | Moneyline | Total |
| Baylor Bears | +3 -110 | +135 | 53½-110o |
| BYU Cougars | -3 -110 | -155 | 53½-110u |
Baylor vs BYU Prediction
The late kickoff is a concern when backing Baylor, but the high-powered offense could be too much for the home side.
We’re taking the value with the Bears as bettors don’t get too many opportunities to bet on them at +135, especially as a top 10 team.
BYU is a quality team, but we’re not taking -155 in this situation and we’re prepared to take the risk.
