Everyone jumped on the dog here and with the Wildcats poor history as a home favorite we can see why.
However, history doesn't win football games and we are now getting great line value with Arizona laying less than a TD in this contest. Mike Stoops is now in year three of this rebuilding program that has made significant strides the last two years.
The Wildcats return a lot of experience from last season's team and should have a significant edge on defense which should neutralize an experienced BYU offense that does return a solid QB in John Beck. Arizona’s strong defense is led by its secondary that is regarded as one of the best in the country. The Wildcats also have a veteran offensive line that should have no problem with a young Cougars defensive line.
Although BYU is coming off a bowl game last year, a look inside their 6-6 record sees that non-conference opponents have been a problem for the Cougars as 5 of their 6 wins came in conference and they are only 3-7 ATS in their last 10 against non-conference foes. They also have not enjoyed much success against the Pac 10 as they are 27-54-1 overall. In comparison, the Mountain West has been good to the Wildcats as they are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 vs the MWC.
The Wildcats return too much talent to not notch a solid victory in this opening game on their home field. Therefore, we lay the points with Arizona as your Free Pick for Saturday.
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BYU vs. Arizona
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