BYU at Baylor odds, picks and prediction
The No. 20 BYU Cougars (5-1) and Baylor Bears (5-1) battle in a Saturday non-conference game at McLane Stadium in Waco, Texas. Kickoff is slated for 3:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the BYU vs. Baylor odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
Rankings according to the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Brigham Young was saddled with its first loss of the season when the Cougars dropped a 26-17 home game against the Boise State Broncos Oct. 9. BYU short circuited its own effort by logging a minus-4 in turnovers. Prior to that setback, the Cougars had allowed just 19.4 points per game (PPG).
The Bears have yielded just 17.8 PPG. They're coming off a 45-20 win over West Virginia and have already won three more games than they did in nine contests last fall. Led by RB Abram Smith (7.7 yards per carry, 7 TDs), Baylor has cranked out 227.7 rushing yards per game (ranking 16th).
BYU at Baylor odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 5:25 a.m. ET.
- Money line: BYU +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | Baylor -240 (bet $240 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): BYU +5.5 (-110) | Baylor -5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 51.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
PLAY: Free, daily sports pick'em contests.Play now!
BYU at Baylor odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
BYU 31, Baylor 28
Money line
Peg Baylor as being a tad overrated on both sides of the ball and perhaps looking forward to a bye week and subsequent in-state rivalry game against Texas.
BYU (+190) is a fair price in a game that could well settle into a back-and-forth.
Against the spread
The Cougars are 4-0 ATS in their last four games as underdogs.
The Bears are a plus-6 in turnover margin and have been at the fortunate end of turning red-zone trips into TDs (18-for-23). Figure BU as a legitimate 4.5-to-5-point favorite; the 5.5-point number makes for some lean toward the Cougars.
An edge to the Brigham Young offensive line - especially in avoiding negative plays - goes a long way toward liking the Cougars to stay within a field goal.
BACK BYU +5.5 (-110).
Over/Under
BYU ranks 81st in the nation in points per game and 66th in yards per game both. Advanced stats metrics peg BYU very close to Baylor, which ranks 17th and 24th, respectively.
TAKE THE OVER 51.5 (-110).
If you're looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).