The Utah Utes take on the BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Utah is favored by -3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -166. The total is set at 49 points.
Here’s my Utah vs. BYU prediction and college football picks for Saturday, October 18, 2025.
Utah Utes vs BYU Cougars Prediction, Picks
Utah vs. BYU Pick: BYU +3.5
My BYU vs. Utah best bet is on Cougars to cover. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Utah vs BYU Odds, Line, Spread
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-4.5 -108 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | -198 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+4.5 -112 | 49.5 -105o / -115u | +170 |
- Utah vs BYU Spread: Utah -3.5
- Utah vs BYU Total Points: 49
- Utah vs BYU ML: Utah -170, BYU +145
Utah vs BYU College Football Betting Preview
Utah Utes Betting Preview
For the first time since 2009, both Utah and BYU will enter this Holy War rivalry game as top 25 teams.
This is the 103rd matchup in the series history, but arguably the biggest game of them all — both teams enter this game with serious Big 12 title and College Football Playoff aspirations and an 11-1 combined record.
Utah has been quite profitable on the road, entering this game 3-0 against the spread as the visiting team this year. The Utes will hope that continues in what should be a raucous environment in Provo.
Utah leads the Big 12 in rushing yards per game, and it typically wears down opposing defenses on the ground, averaging 248.2 yards per game. The Utes share the love around in the backfield, as three different backs have over 50 carries through six games.
The leading rusher by yardage is the sensational Devon Dampier, a quarterback who can single-handedly win Utah games with his arm or his legs.
Alongside Dampier, the running back duo of Wayshawn Parker and NaQuari Rogers has combined to add 633 rushing yards and nine touchdowns of their own.
Defensively, Utah has been dominant. The Utes have held five of their six opponents to 14 points or less. The one exception was a 34-10 loss to Texas Tech.
In that game, the Red Raiders' starting quarterback Behren Morton exited due to a surprise injury, and backup Will Hammond starred in his place. Hammond ran for 61 yards on eight carries, on top of 169 passing yards and two touchdowns — a dual-threat formula BYU will surely try to replicate.
That's easier said than done, although Bear Bachmeier may be one of the only quarterbacks in the country up for the challenge.
BYU Cougars Betting Preview
When Bachmeier committed to BYU, I'm not sure he expected his first season to go like this.
After Jake Retzlaff exited the program, the responsibility of taking the reins to a 10-win football team full of veterans on both sides of the ball fell to a freshman who wears No. 47.
But Bachmeier has delivered.
With 15 total touchdowns through six games, seven on the ground and eight through the air, it's clear that BYU has found its quarterback of the future, and the present. Bachmeier seeks contact, runs like a fullback and just simply makes plays.
His heroics were on full display last week, as BYU trailed Arizona by 10 points on the road with just over 10 minutes left in the game.
Bachmeier led BYU on back-to-back scoring drives, including a two-minute drill turned touchdown in which he ran the ball six times and punched in the game-tying score himself.
It sounds crazy, but "shades of Tim Tebow" applies to Bachmeier — both in his dual threat, physical skillset and his ability to lead a veteran team. He makes the impossible seem … possible.
But it's not just Bachmeier playing hero ball — running back LJ Martin has become one of the most reliable bell cows in the sport. With 101 carries for 652 yards, he flanks Bachmeier as they punish opposing defenses with their legs.
BYU is second in the Big 12 in rushing yardage, only trailing Utah by 10 per game.
Chase Roberts and Parker Kingston have both proven themselves as reliable pass-catchers. Roberts has 22 catches for three scores and Kingston has 23 for two.
The questions that remain for BYU: Can Bachmeier limit his turnovers? After four starts with zero interceptions to open the season, he's thrown three in his last two games.
And will the defense hold up against quality opponents? The Cougars have allowed increasingly higher point totals in each week this season, starting with a shutout win over Portland State in Week 1, all the way up to 27 points allowed in an overtime win over Arizona.
Utah vs BYU NCAAF Week 8 Pick
With both teams sharing many of the same traits — a star dual-threat quarterback, a dominant rushing attack, veteran defenses and great coaches — it would be fair to expect this to be a great game.
BYU has won two straight in the series and will have a sizeable home field advantage.
Through six games, we haven't seen a formula worthy of beating BYU. We've seen Utah fall to Texas Tech, which employed a quarterback run game that Bachmeier can replicate.
Expect the Cougars to find success and ride their home crowd to a cover.
Pick: BYU +3.5
