The 22nd-ranked BYU Cougars have been dominant through two games, and they could face their first real test of the season Friday night at home against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs. The Cougars (2-0) have been humming on offense behind third-year starting quarterback Zach Wilson and a strong running game, and the defense leads the FBS in total yards and points allowed. Louisiana Tech (2-0) went 10-3 last season and has a powerful offense of its own led by transfer quarterback Luke Anthony, but the defense has been struggling to stop opponents.
Kickoff is set for 9 p.m. ET. William Hill has BYU listed as a 24.5-point favorite in the latest Louisiana Tech vs. BYU odds, while the over-under for total points scored is 59. Before locking in your BYU vs. Louisiana Tech picks, check out the college football predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $4,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is a sizzling 16-2 on top-rated picks through four weeks of the 2020 college football season, returning over $1,100 in profit already. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on BYU vs. Louisiana Tech. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds from William Hill and trends for Louisiana Tech vs. BYU:
- Louisiana Tech vs. BYU spread: Cougars -24.5
- Louisiana Tech vs. BYU over-under: 59
- Louisiana Tech vs. BYU money line: Cougars -2000, Bulldogs +1100
- LT: RB Justin Henderson has at least 75 total yards in 11 of his past 13 games, topping 100 six times.
- BYU: QB Zach Wilson has thrown for at least 270 yards in seven of his past nine games.
Why BYU can cover
The Cougars are 6-2 against the spread in their last eight games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game, and the defense has been a big part of the team's success. The unit is allowing just 165 yards and five points per game and has sacked opposing quarterbacks nine times. Linebacker Isaiah Kaufusi and 321-pound tackle Khyiris Tonga have two sacks apiece, and Kavika Fonua and Keenan Pili round out a top-notch linebacking corps.
BYU is 9-4 against the spread in its past 13 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in its previous game, and Wilson threw for 392 yards and several backs teamed up for 192 yards on the ground in a 48-7 rout of Troy last week. Lopini Katoa and Tyler Allgeier share the work in the backfield, combining for 126 yards in that game, and each averages more than seven yards per carry. Wideout Gunner Romney is averaging 30.2 yards on his nine receptions.
Why Louisiana Tech can cover
The Bulldogs are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games following a straight-up win, and they have solid weapons on offense. Anthony threw for 314 yards and five touchdown passes against HBU, and the running game piled up 182 yards. Seniors Justin Henderson and Israel Tucker share the load for a running game that averages 172.5 yards per game. Louisiana Tech has turned the ball over just twice, with Anthony throwing one interception and Aaron Allen throwing the other.
The receiving corps also is in good hands, with Adrian Hardy (148 yards), Smoke Harris (team-high 10 catches) and Wayne Toussant (two TDs last week). The Bulldogs are also 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game.
How to make BYU vs. Louisiana Tech picks
SportsLine's model is leaning under on the total, with projections showing Anthony falling well short of 200 passing yards and the Cougars running game being held in check. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Louisiana Tech vs. BYU? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the BYU vs. Louisiana Tech spread to back, all from the advanced model that is up over $4,000 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
