The San Diego State Aztecs take on the Utah Utes at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 18 at Dignity Health Sports Park. The Aztecs have been an early surprise team in 2021 under Brady Hoke, while Utah is looking to rebound from its rivalry loss to BYU last weekend. Utah has been a strong road favorite over its last ten games, and is 6-4 overall and against the spread during that stretch. SDSU has been one of college football's best teams against opposing rushing attacks, while Utah has averaged 190 yards on the ground over its first two games. The game will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.
The Utes are favored by eight points in the latest San Diego State vs. Utah odds from Caesars Sportsbook, and the over-under is set at 44.5. Before locking in any Utah vs. San Diego State picks, you'll want to see the college football predictions and analysis from the model at SportsLine.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on a 67-50 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on San Diego State vs. Utah and just revealed its college football picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting trends for San Diego State vs. Utah:
- San Diego State vs. Utah spread: San Diego State +8
- San Diego State vs. Utah over-under: 44.5 points
- San Diego State vs. Utah moneyline: Utah -330, SDSU +260
What you need to know about San Diego State
Hoke appears to have found a situation that suits him for the first time since leaving Michigan in 2014. Surprisingly, his Aztecs' calling card has been its defense more than its offense. SDSU opponents have called the fifth-fewest run plays in the country against a single team, and haven't been successful in the ones they've tried. The Aztecs have only allowed an average of 2.11 yards per rush from opponents.
Quarterback Jordon Brookshire has only completed 50-percent of his passes, but SDSU's ground game is what moves its offense. Senior running back Greg Bell has run for the seventh-most yards in the country, and is averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Utah's defense only allows 3.8 yards per carry, but has surrendered an average of 144 yards per game on the ground in its first two.
What you need to know about Utah
Utah came up short against the BYU Cougars on Saturday, falling 26-17. RB Micah Bernard put forth a good effort for the losing side as he rushed for one TD and 146 yards on 12 carries. Bernard was a bit of an unheralded recruit coming out of high school, and was played sparingly in 2020, but he's shown that he wants to be the lead back in this Utes offense.
Utah already has 15 run plays from scrimmage this season that have gone for more than ten yards. Utah will likely try to keep that going and play to its strength against a tough Aztecs front-seven. SDSU has been stout against the run, but it also has nine sacks through its first few games, and could gum up the pace of Utah's passing offense.
How to make Utah vs. San Diego State picks
The model has simulated San Diego State vs. Utah 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you that the model is leaning under on the point total, and it's also generated a point-spread pick that is hitting in well over 60 percent of simulations. You can only see the model's Utah vs. SDSU pick at SportsLine.
So who wins San Diego State vs. Utah? And which side of the spread is a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
