A heated intrastate rivalry renews Friday when BYU hosts Utah State at 9 p.m. ET. The Cougars are 3-2 and have two road upsets of Power 5 programs to their credit, but are coming off their worst performance of the season in a blowout loss to Washington. The Aggies are 3-1 and have reeled off three consecutive dominant victories after coming up short against powerful Michigan State in Week 1. They are looking for their second consecutive victory in this series following a 16-point win last season. BYU is a 2.5-point sportsbook favorite and the over-under for total points scored is 55 in the latest BYU vs. Utah State odds. Before you make any BYU vs. Utah State picks, listen to what SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh has to say. 

The renowned co-founder of AccuScore, Oh simulates each game 10,000 times using the SportsLine projection model. He is crushing college football in 2018, and he heads into this week on a 7-3 run on his point-spread selections. Moreover, he has had a keen eye for the tendencies of BYU, as he boasts a perfect 5-0 mark against the spread in games involving the Cougars over the past two years.

Just last week, Oh advised SportsLine members that BYU would face matchup problems with Washington and recommended laying 17 points with the favored Huskies. They rolled to a 35-7 win, and anyone who followed Oh's advice pocketed an easy victory.

Now, Oh has scrutinized BYU vs. Utah State from every possible angle to reveal a strong point-spread pick that he's revealing only at SportsLine. 

Oh knows the Cougars will be eager to gain the upper hand in this rivalry. The teams have split the past four meetings and Utah State took advantage of a down year for BYU last season and cruised to a 40-26 win. 

Coming off a disappointing four-win campaign, the Cougars have responded with a mostly solid start that has included two upsets as double-digit underdogs. They gained national attention with a 24-21 victory against a Wisconsin team favored by three touchdowns. BYU essentially beat the Badgers at their own game with a physical, run-based attack supported by a solid defense. The Cougars rushed for 194 yards on one of the stingiest defensive units in the country.

But just because the Cougars have excelled against top-flight competition doesn't mean they are assured of covering against rugged Utah State, which has held its own in this series and is quietly having a breakout season. 

The Aggies earned their own national acclaim by taking Michigan State to the wire in a nationally televised 38-31 loss as a nearly four-touchdown underdog. They took an early lead, then later overcame a 13-point deficit to go ahead 31-30 with 5:05 to play. 

Utah State has since rolled to three straight wins by an average of 39 points against New Mexico State, Tennessee State and Air Force.

We can tell you Oh is leaning toward the under, but he has also unearthed the crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's only sharing at SportsLine. 

Who covers Utah State-BYU? And what crucial factor causes one side of the spread to hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump all over Friday, all from the data scientist who's 5-0 on his picks involving BYU.