BYU Cougars vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Odds, Analysis, College Football Pick

The BYU Cougars and Arizona Wildcats will battle at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on Saturday night in a game oddsmakers believe to be almost too close to call, with both teams welcoming back quarterbacks who missed time last season.

Point spread: Wildcats opened as 2.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.2-25.3 Cougars

Why the BYU Cougars can cover the spread

The Cougars saw Taysom Hill win their quarterback competition over Tanner Mangum after he missed almost the entire season a year ago with a foot injury. Mangum had played well in Hill’s absence, taking over late in a season-opening road victory against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and winning the game on a Hail Mary pass in the final seconds.

With Hill back, BYU has a veteran leader who will be looking to finish his career strong following a series of injuries. The Cougars covered each of their first three games last season and will try to get off to a similar start this year.

Why the Arizona Wildcats can cover the spread

Arizona hopes to see signal-caller Anu Solomon play up to his potential in his junior year after missing two games in 2015 due to a head injury. Solomon came in with a lot of fanfare as a freshman out of Las Vegas high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman and was recruited by BYU as well.

But his second season was not as good as his first, and he will now try to lead the Wildcats to a third consecutive Week 1 win with him under center. The Wildcats have also won eight straight season openers overall, according to the Odds Shark college football database, and will be playing close to home here.

Smart pick

BYU looked like a team of destiny at times last season with Mangum before fizzling out at the end, and Hill will give his teammates extra motivation right out of the gates with his return. The Cougars are 17-7 against the spread in their last 24 games as underdogs, and they will be up to the task behind Hill and pull off the small upset in Arizona’s backyard.

Betting trends

Arizona is 2-4 ATS in its last six games.

The total has gone under in BYU's last three games against Arizona.

BYU is 17-7 ATS in its last 24 games as an underdog.

All point spread and betting lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Odds Shark on Twitter and YouTube for injury information, line movement updates and more game analysis, and get the free odds tracker app.