Utah vs Baylor Prediction - College Football Picks 9/9/23

Baylor Bears (0-1) vs Utah Utes (1-0)

Game Info: Saturday, September 9, 2023 at 12:00 pm (McLane Stadium)

Betting Odds: Baylor Bears +7.5 -- Over/Under: 47 Click Here for the Latest Odds

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The Baylor Bears and Utah Utes face off on Saturday in a Week 2 college football showdown at McLane Stadium.

Baylor Injuries Wraps Up Bad Week

Baylor opened up the season against Texas State and they really struggled early in the game. At the end of the first quarter, they were down 14-6 and they were never able to bounce back as they were defeated 42-31. Quarterback Blake Sharpen completed 21 of his 31 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. Drake Dabney caught six passes for 101 yards and two touchdowns. One big issue for Baylor heading into this game is they will be without Sharpen for this game. He suffered an MCL Injury and now he’s going to be out for the next couple of weeks. Mississippi State transfer quarterback Sawyer Robertson should get the start in this game. If Baylor wants to find success in this game, they are going to need the defense to step up to put the pressure on the Baylor offense.

Baylor Betting Preview

Baylor has won eight of its last nine home games in September.
Baylor has covered the spread in eight of its last nine home games in September.
Baylor has won the first quarter in four of its last five home games against non-conference opponents.
Baylor has won the first half in four of its last five home games against non-conference opponents.
Eight of Baylor's last nine games as an underdog against top-15 AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.

Utah Dealing with Injuries

The Utah Utes were able to win their first game, but they are dealing with many injuries heading into this game. Last weekend there were 10 starters that missed the game against the Florida Gators including starting quarterback Cam Rising. Rising has been cleared to participate in practices but it’s still unclear if he will play in this game. In the first game Utah faced off against Florida and they were able to secure the 24-11 victory. Under center for Utah was Bryson Barnes and he completed 12 of his 18 passes for 159 yards and one touchdown. Money Parks caught a long touchdown pass for 70 yards and a touchdown. The defense gave up only 11 points and this defense looks like it’s going to be a problem for opposing teams all season.

Utah Betting Preview

The team ranked 12th in the AP Poll has won of its last 10 games.
The team ranked 12th in the AP Poll has covered the spread in lost of its last nine games.
Four of Utah's last five games against non-AP-ranked teams have gone UNDER the total points line.

Baylor vs Utah Facts

Baylor ranked T28th among FBS teams for Q2 points allowed per game last season (5.9).
Baylor ranked T33rd among FBS teams for H1 win percentage last season (.615).
Utah ranked 4th among FBS teams for Q3 win percentage last season (.714).
Utah ranked 8th among FBS teams for H1 points per game last season (20.5).

Shane’s Free Pick

Baylor is going to fall to 0-2 in this game. Bryson Barnes did what he needed to in his first game for Utah, and even if he has to play again, he’s going to be good again. Most important for Utah though, their defense is elite again, and they are going to step up again here. Utah is going to step up and Baylor is going to trouble to get to even 14 points. The lack of scoring by Baylor is going to be the difference as Utah is going to get the job done. Back Utah to win this game and cover the spread.