How and what to watch for Troy vs. BYU

On Saturday night No. 18 BYU welcomes Troy to town for their first-ever meeting as both programs look to move to 2-0 in 2020.

BYU looked absolutely unstoppable in their 55-3 dismantling of Navy on Labor Day. Granted, Navy hadn’t practiced any live tackling drills before the season began, but the Cougars offensive production was still impressive. QB Zach WIlson was extremely efficient though the air, going 13/18, 232 yards, and 2 TDs with an interception. On the ground Tyler Allgeier ran for 132 yards on just 14 carries. BYU’s top four rushers all averaged over 5 yards per carry.

Troy got a victory in week one, but it wasn’t half as impressive as BYU’s. They beat Middle Tennessee, who look to be one of the worst teams in the nation, 47-14. The passing game was productive, as QB Gunnar Watson threw for 248 yards and 2 TDs. But Troy was a decent Sun Belt team last season and was expected to do that to.

The big worry for Troy should be the fact that BYU has had nearly three weeks to prepare for them along with the sheer size of the Cougars offensive and defensive lines. BYU manhandled Navy at the point of attack and controlled the game from there.

Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming

Troy at BYU kicks off at 10:15 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends

Point spread: Troy (+14) vs BYU
Point Total: 61
Money line: Troy (+450), BYU (-525)

• BYU are 1-5 against the spread in their last six games
• The total has gone over in six of BYU’s last nine games
• Troy is 1-5 ATS in their last six games against FBS opponents.

The Best Bet

Troy’s offensive line is similar in size to Navy’s, which doesn’t bode well for them. BYU can out-man the Trojans in the trenches. They’ve also had nearly a month to prepare for this game, while Troy has only had one week. I think BYU wins by more than 14.

Pick: BYU -14

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