Vegas Play of the Day: Utah at Arizona

By Case Keefer (contact)

Friday, Sept. 22, 2017 | 2 a.m.

We’ve entered the fourth season of the annual South Point-lined Play of the Day competition, effective July 1.

Starting bankrolls have reset to $10,000, with the maximum bet being to win $1,000 and the minimum wager $300. Ray Brewer won back-to-back titles in the 2015-2016 and 2016-17 seasons, after Taylor Bern prevailed in 2014-2015.

Arizona plus-3.5 vs. Utah: $330 to win $300

Getting an extra half-point makes the home team the play in tonight’s Pac-12 matchup. Arizona has really fallen off since its appearance in the 2014 Pac-12 Championship Game, and bettors have noticed.

The Wildcats are getting no action in this game, which has forced the spread to swell and make it the best option on a sparse Friday night betting board. Utah is breaking in a lot of new players this season, and so far, it’s seemed to go smoothly with a 3-0 straight-up and against the spread record.

A conference road game is a new challenge, though. In its only trip so far, Utah just edged much-struggling BYU 19-13 as 5-point favorites.

Arizona is going to put up more of a fight because its offense can at least be counted on to score a decent amount of points. Brandon Dawkins is a dual threat quarterback, and veteran running back Nick Wilson is expected back from an injury this week.

Utah is known for defensive discipline, but has struggled against Arizona’s rush-focused offense in the past. The Utes are just 1-4 against the spread versus the Wildcats since coach Rich Rodriguez arrived in Tucson, Ariz.

The question will be whether Arizona can get enough stops. That’s up in the air, but getting 3.5 points makes it worth paying to find out.

Current Standings: Keefer (9-4-1, $12,085), Granger (6-6, $11,595), Grimala (4-3, $10,495), Brewer (7-8, $8,710)

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.