SP+ Predicts Rivalry Between No. 19 BYU and Utah State

The Cougars are heavily favored against in-state rivals Utah State

On Thursday, no. 19 BYU hosts in-state rival Utah State. The game will be televised on ESPN. The Cougars come into the game with a 3-1 record including wins over Baylor, Wyoming, and USF. The Aggies limp into this game with a 1-3 record - Utah State has lost consecutive games to Weber State and UNLV.

ESPN's Bill Connelly released the SP+ predictions for week five. Each week, Connelly unveils score predictions for every game involving an FBS team. On Monday, Connelly cemented his prediction for BYU-Utah State.

SP+ gives BYU an 93% chance to beat Utah State with an expected final score of 42-16 in favor of the Cougars. At 93% win probability, SP+ is in line with the ESPN FPI prediction. FPI gives BYU a 95% chance to beat Utah State.

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas favor BYU. As of this writing, the Cougars are 24-point favorites against Utah State according to betting lines and the over/under is set at 61, meaning the implied final score is roughly 42-18 in favor of BYU.

Notable Week Five SP+ Predictions

There are multiple games that will impact BYU's ranking in week five. Here are the SP+ predictions for those games.

No. 15 Washington 26 - UCLA 29

No. 7 Kentucky 26 - No. 14 Ole Miss 22

No. 18 Oklahoma 36 - TCU 26

No. 12 Utah 35 - Oregon State 21

No. 2 Alabama 37 - No. 20 Arkansas 22

No. 9 Oklahoma State 25 - No. 16 Baylor 27

No. 17 Texas A&M 21 - Mississippi State 25

No. 10 NC State 23 - No. 5 Clemson 27

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