How good does it feel that football is back? Attention fellow betting fans, the Baylor Bears are pitted up against the BYU Cougars in one of the more intriguing matchups on the college football slate in Week 2. With that being said, join us for our college football odds series, where our Baylor-BYU prediction and pick will be revealed.

Fresh off of a 69-10 thrashing of Albany, the Baylor Bears enter this contest after they abused the Great Dane's defense for 573 total yards of offense while limiting Albany to only 237 yards. In his third season as head football coach, Dave Aranda showcases a roster that could be a surprise pick to not only win the Big 12, but maybe even sneak into the College Football Playoff as well.

A year from now, BYU will officially be a member of the Big 12 Conference in an attempt to gain more notoriety as a football program. Without a doubt, the Cougars would like a do-over from their matchup against Baylor last season, as it was the Bears that led as much as 21 points en route to a 38-24 victory over BYU. With multiple returning starters including junior quarterback Jaren Hall. Can head coach Kalani Sitake get the troops ready for this epic non-conference showdown?

Here are the Baylor-BYU College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Football Odds: Baylor-BYU Odds

Baylor Bears: +2.5 (-110)

BYU Cougars: -2.5 (-110)

Over: 53.5 (-110)

Under: 53.5 (-110)

Why Baylor Could Cover The Spread

At first glance from yesterday's gruesome beatdown, it appears that this Baylor Bears team is certainly no joke. After a disappointing 2-7 campaign in 2020, Dave Aranda led the Bears to the program's first Big 12 Title since 2014 a year ago, and it sure was in dramatic fashion. The Bears proceeded to even down Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl 21-7 shortly after, as the magical 12-2 season from a year ago has only exceeded lofty expectations for this squad in 2022.

Under center, the Bears have a field general that can make opposing defenses pay with not only his cannon for an arm but his athletic legs as well. True sophomore quarterback Blake Shapen is not only the future of this football program, but he is also the now. Against Albany, Shapen dissected Great Dane defenders by completing 85% of his passes for 214 yards through the air and even adding a rushing touchdown to his stat line. The most impressive part of Shapen's performance last Saturday was the sheer control of the offense that he seemed to have. Without a doubt, Baylor will need more of Shapen's calm, cool, and collective nature to be on display against BYU.

Even though the Bears have only returned six starters total from last season's squad, they should still be able to make an impact within the trenches of this one. Going up against a veteran team like the Cougars will be a challenge, but the offensive line returns four of those six starters. Not to mention, but this defensive line is absolutely nasty at the line of scrimmage as DT Siaki Ika, and linebackers Dillon Doyle and Matt Jones should all be major contributors on Saturday night.

Why BYU Could Cover The Spread

An excellent team from a season ago, the Cougars return just about everyone from that team that won ten games. Since 2016, head coach Kalani Sitake has molded his program with a DNA of toughness and grit. In comparison to Baylor's six returning starters, BYU has a clear advantage in this department as they return a colossal 19 players from last year's already stacked team. Clearly, Baylor will have their hands full on Saturday in large part because of the veteran nature that this program possesses in nearly every positional unit out on the gridiron.

The biggest difference maker in this one will of course be at the quarterback position for the Cougars, as Jaren Hall returns for yet another season under center. Since first appearing back in 2019, Hall has had 90 career starts under his belt. Hall is one of those signal callers that won't make a lot of mistakes and will lull you to sleep before striking in a disturbing fashion. In BYU's 50-21 victory over South Florida, Hall tosses a pair of passing touchdowns while also completing 25 of his 32 attempts in the air.

Additionally, BYU may possess one of the better offensive lines in what could play a large role in covering the spread. The Cougars return seven of their eight linemen from 2021 including adding five-star Oregon transfer Kingsley Suamataia who should serve as the anchor to this unit. If the line can open up holes in the running game and give Hall time to go through his progressions, then this offense will be tough to stop at home.

Final Baylor-BYU Prediction & Pick

Arguably one of the top college football matchups in Week 2 of the season, this is a game that will be won in the trenches. Both sides have some behemoth playmakers on the lines that will impose their will, but the Cougars at home feeding off of the crowd's energy at LaVell Edwards Stadium will prove to be too much for the Bears to handle.

Final Baylor-BYU Prediction & Pick: BYU -2.5 (-110)