Friday College football is back, and we have some great games lined up tonight with our headliner being the #16 Utah Utes taking on Arizona State. That’s not all, though; we also have matchups in the Big 10 and Mountain West this Friday. Northwestern will take on Maryland, while UNLV takes on Utah State. You won’t want to miss this slate of games tonight, with the first kick-off at 8:00 PM ET. If you’re a night owl college football fan, this is your night!
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#16 Utah has been on a roll this year, even without their starting QB Cam Rising. They have managed a 4-1 record to this point, with their only loss coming last weekend to Arizona. The Utes are a strong blend of unwavering determination. They are rarely the most talented team, but they consistently keep the pressure on their opponents. Kyle Whittingham knows how to keep this team organized and chugging along despite adversity. They would likely be a top 10 ranked team if they still had Rising, but maintaining their ranked status thus far is impressive.
We expect to see the Utes air the ball out quite a bit this game against an Arizona State team that tends to give up a ton of points. This game will probably turn into a foot race by the end, as both teams are poised to move the ball.
Arizona State won’t be a pushover either. They’re also 4-1 coming into this game. With some big wins under their belt, this team is cooking. Keep an eye out for their RB, Cameron Skattebo, as he can take control of a game almost single-handedly. In his game against Mississippi State, he put up over 250 yards of rushing. The guy is the workhorse of this offense, as he takes a vast majority of the snaps for this offense. Their QB, Sam Leavitt, has been a mixed bag this year. With some nice stretches, he’s been more of a game manager than anything else. He keeps this offense moving, but don’t expect him to break out and win the game single-handedly.
Prediction: We have Utah taking this one on the road. As the more complete team on both sides of the ball, we think they’ll take control of this game early. We’re not highly confident in the spread at 5.5 for Utah, so we’d stick with the money line at this point. Alternatively, total points are set at 46.5, which feels low for two programs that have been putting up points all year.
This is a match-up of two teams that are searching for something positive. Maryland has, at the very least, a positive record. They have a couple of nice wins, beating Virginia and Villanova. They’re just kind of a middle-of-the-road roster in the Big 10. There isn’t a ton to say about this team. They’re the white bread of the Big 10 again this year. Their offense is solid under QB Billy Edwards Jr. The defense can hang with most teams, but at the end of the day, this team just doesn’t have the IT factor.
Northwestern is in a similar boat, except the worse version. They are coming into this matchup with a 2-3 record, and both wins coming over FCS teams. Unlike Maryland, this team can’t move the ball well; they’ve struggled to put points on the board all year. It’s mainly the inconsistency from the offense that is most worrying. Their QB, Jack Lausch, can get shut down, and when that happens, the Wildcats struggle to do anything. We don’t have high hopes for them in this match-up.
Predictions: This will probably be a one-sided affair. Maryland is just the more talented team coming into this game. Especially with home-field advantage, we expect they will walk away with this one easily. We love the spread here at 10.5 for Maryland.
UNLV was riding high early this year, starting their season out undefeated; they looked bulletproof. Unfortunately, they weren’t orange-proof as Syracuse upset the Rebels at home. It wasn’t from a lack of trying; the game was an epic matchup, but Syracuse managed to squeak it out with a last-second field goal in OT. Ultimately, the Rebels still looked great in that matchup, and it was a hard-fought game. In their previous games, they have managed to win handily despite the early drama.
After week three of the season, the starting UNLV quarterback opted to redshirt over issues with his NIL deal. Since then, 6th-year quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams has taken control. He has been spectacular as well, moving the ball through the air and on the ground with ease. We think he could be an X-factor in this game and show out again.
Utah State, on the other hand, has struggled. They are coming into this game with a 1-4 record. They have been trounced in every game. This team just doesn’t have it, and the highlight for the football program this year was invited to the PAC-12. It’s not that Utah State can’t score or move the ball; that’s probably their best quality. The defense just can’t stop anything. They have given up 207 points in FIVE GAMES. It doesn’t help that 62 came from Boise State, but they did have 49 of those points in the first half.
Prediction: This is a simple one: just go with Rebels; UNLV is the superior team through and through. We expect this one to be a blowout and will be shocked if it's close going into the 4ht. That is a safe bet, with the spread set at -18.5 for UNLV. UNLV will win this one by three scores unless this turns into a rock.