The Arizona Wildcats take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah, on Saturday, Sept. 12. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
BYU is favored by -7.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -315. Arizona, meanwhile, enters as a +7.5 underdog and is +250 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 48.5 total points.
Here’s my Arizona vs. BYU prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 12.
Arizona vs BYU Prediction
- Arizona vs. BYU Pick: BYU ML + LJ Martin Anytime Touchdown (Parlay Odds: -125)
My BYU vs. Arizona best bet is on a parlay featuring the Cougars on the moneyline and running back LJ Martin to score a touchdown. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page, and be sure to download the Action Network app for more expert picks and analysis.
Arizona vs BYU Odds
| Arizona Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 47.5 -114o / -106u | +250 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 47.5 -114o / -106u | -315 |
- Arizona vs BYU point spread: BYU -7.5 (-110), Arizona +7.5 (-110)
- Arizona vs BYU over/under: 48.5 (-114o / -106u)
- Arizona vs BYU moneyline: Arizona +250, BYU -315
Arizona vs BYU College Football Preview
Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview: Fifita Leading the Way
Arizona football enters its third season under head coach Brent Brennan, who will surely have his Wildcats ready to play, fresh off a dominant victory in the team’s opener.
After finishing their 2025 campaign with a 9-4 overall record, the Wildcats have some very high expectations for Brennan’s third season in Tucson, with a potential top-15 road victory doing wonders for their College Football Playoff resume.
Arizona star quarterback Noah Fifita returns after a phenomenal junior campaign in which he threw for over 3,300 yards to go along with 29 passing touchdowns.
The Wildcats’ 21-year-old picked up right where he left off last season in their Week 1 win, throwing for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Seth Doege is in his second season as Arizona's offensive coordinator, ensuring scheme continuity for Fifita.
Arizona also returns wide receiver Giovanni Richardson, who will see a significant uptick in targets as a sophomore after racking up nine receptions for 111 yards in his first game as a starter.
Despite losing many receivers to the portal, Richardson is one of many new targets poised for breakout seasons with a far greater role in the Wildcat offense.
Senior running back Kedrick Reescano should thrive in a greater role as well, with the third-year Wildcat already finding the end zone twice this season.
While the Wildcats return the majority of 2025’s offensive playmakers, I have far more concern about their defense after losing several key contributors from last season.
Despite Arizona ranking second in the Big 12 in forced turnovers last season (31), six of its top seven tacklers have moved on from the team.
The Wildcats lost four members of their 2025 secondary to the NFL, which could result in a significant decline in turnover production.
Brennan's bunch added the likes of Daylen Austin (Oregon), Malcolm Hartzog (Nebraska) and Tyrese Boss (Wyoming) to completely rejuvenate the Wildcats’ defensive efficiency this season.
Fortunately for Arizona, the defense retained outside linebacker Taye Brown, who ranked second on the team with 93 tackles. That said, Brown is the only top-eight tackler from 2025 on the Wildcats’ defensive unit this season.
Arizona’s trip to Provo for a ranked matchup with BYU should answer a ton of questions on what to expect from this Wildcat bunch for the remainder of the season.
BYU Cougars Betting Preview: College Football Playoff Aspirations
The 14th-ranked Cougars are undoubtedly a legitimate College Football Playoff contender in 2026, led by head coach Kalani Sitake in his 11th season at the helm.
Sophomore quarterback Bear Bachmeier looked sensational in the Cougars’ blowout victory over Utah Tech, with the highly-touted prospect completing 16 of his 20 pass attempts for nearly 200 yards to go along with three passing touchdowns.
True freshman wide receiver Legend Glasker made immediate waves, earning Big 12 Freshman of the Week honors with three touchdowns — two receiving and one rushing — in Week 1.
The BYU youngster lines up alongside Oregon transfer Kyler Kasper and standout running back LJ Martin, who averaged 7.7 yards per carry (YPC) in the Cougars’ Week 1 victory.
The Cougs defense stood out in fall camp, anchored by Cal transfer linebacker Cade Uluave and returning safety Faletau Satuala, both of whom need to play well against an electric Arizona offense loaded with talented playmakers.
Cornerback Cannon DeVries remains a dangerous weapon, earning Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week after a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the opener as well.
BYU faces a demanding regular-season schedule that includes the likes of Notre Dame and TCU, among others.
For a Cougar bunch with CFP aspirations, Saturday night’s clash with Arizona will be of utmost significance, especially with the game set to be played at its home stadium in Provo.
Arizona vs BYU Pick, Betting Analysis
We're in for a stellar Power 4 showdown on Saturday evening in Provo, with both teams looking to advance to 2-0 on the season.
I expect plenty of offense here, but I'm far more worried about Arizona stopping BYU's offense after losing six of its top seven tacklers from a season ago.
Given how well BYU plays at its home stadium and how well-rounded it is on both sides of the football, I definitely favor the Cougars on Saturday night.
That said, I'm not particularly fond of laying over a touchdown on BYU in this spot, so I'll be taking a more unique betting approach.
I feel confident betting a two-leg parlay that has BYU ML paired with Martin to score a touchdown, given his status as one of the most talented backs in all of college football.
You can play my SGP for Saturday night at -125 on DraftKings.
Pick: BYU ML + LJ Martin Anytime Touchdown (Parlay Odds: -125)
Arizona vs BYU Betting Trends
