The Cougars' usually stout defense has slipped up a bit the past couple of weeks but we still like this cheap price for the better team going against an Arizona club that was routed the only other time this season it faced an upper-tier Big 12 opponent.

When elite pass defenses cancel each other out, look to see who runs the ball better. That would be BYU, which is chewing up ground yards at the rate of 234 per game and nearly six yards per carry. With rain in the forecast, the scales tilt further to the rush-minded side. QB Bear Bachmeier should spend some NIL cash to gift his blockers, who protect him well with just four sacks recorded. The Cougars are unbeaten SU against a modest schedule and are slightly more battle-tested than the Wildcats, who come off pushover wins against Weber State and Hawaii.

To be fair, I liked the under line in the Arizona-BYU game even before I saw the weekend forecast. There is expected to be an influx of moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Priscilla in Tucson this weekend, so it won't be fun for those of us who plan to be at the game. Even if it's just cloudy, I still think defenses rule at Arizona Stadium. All four Wildcats' home games have gone under as did both BYU road games. I hope I'm wrong with my actual score prediction, but at least I'm confident in the under. BYU 24, Arizona 17.