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The Utah Utes take on the Arizona State Sun Devils. Check out our college football odds series for our Utah Arizona State prediction and pick.
Utah's loss to the Florida Gators in Week 1 of the college football season looks a lot worse now, compared to two weeks ago. Florida, after beating Utah, then lost to Kentucky and narrowly avoided a humiliating loss to South Florida as a 23-point favorite. The Gators' offense has sputtered under quarterback Anthony Richardson, whose high level of play against Utah did not carry over to the Kentucky and South Florida games. Florida's erosion means that Utah's one loss looks bad, which is devastating for Utah's College Football Playoff hopes. The Utes know they not only have to win the rest of their games in order to have any shot at the playoff; they need to be dominant and establish a consistent reputation for bringing the hammer to the opposition. Utah needs to play — and win — like a juggernaut, instead of merely scraping by. The win last week over San Diego State was good, but not great. This offense, under quarterback Cam Rising, has not reached its potential. Utah is not firing on all cylinders.
What a week it has been for Arizona State. Herm Edwards was finally fired after a loss to Eastern Michigan one week ago as a 20-point favorite. Shaun Aguano was appointed interim coach, while the administration begins its head coaching search. Athletic director Ray Anderson, a personal friend of Edwards who hired him to the job, is still employed. Everyone in Tempe is wondering if Anderson will be allowed to make the hire of Edwards' replacement, all while the school waits for NCAA punishments connected to the school's COVID-19 recruiting scandal from the 2020 college football season. The obvious question connected to this game: Will the coaching change unlock something special and inspired from this team, or is the situation so fractured and dysfunctional that the Sun Devils are likely to stumble through the remainder of their season?
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Utah-Arizona State College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Utah-Arizona State Odds
Utah Utes: -15.5 (-112)
Arizona State Sun Devils: +15.5 (-108)
Over: 53.5 (-114)
Under: 53.5 (-106)
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Why Utah Could Cover the Spread
The Utes know they not only need to win, but win big, to have any chance at the College Football Playoff. Add to that the fact that Arizona State is going through a lot of turmoil and transition, following an offseason in which important players such as Eric Gentry (USC) and Jermayne Lole (Louisville) transferred out of the program. Arizona State's depleted roster and the talent gap between these teams is the main reason Utah can hang a 28-point win on the Sun Devils and hit the reset button on its season.
Why Arizona State Could Cover the Spread
ASU is not a better team than Utah, but we see this all the time: A team fires its embattled head coach and then plays an inspired game the next time it takes the field. Players love playing for the new interim coach and reach a level of performance they never could attain under the previous coach. Getting rid of Herm Edwards could unlock the potential of this Sun Devil team, in which case it should play Utah close for four quarters and come in well under the 15.5-point spread.
Final Utah-Arizona State Prediction & Pick
If Utah plays to its capacity — or even close to it — this game should be a romp for the Utes against a clearly inferior opponent.
Final Utah-Arizona State Prediction & Pick: Utah -15.5
