The Idaho Vandals and Utah Utes play on Thursday, Sept, 3, 2026, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a game on the college football Week 1 schedule.
Which team will win the college football Week 1 game?
Check out these college football Week 1 picks and college football Week 1 predictions for the game, which can be seen at 6 p.m. MST on ESPNU (stream with FUBO).
Utah is a 34.5-point favorite over Idaho in college football Week 1 odds for the game, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Utes are -30000 on the moneyline, while the Vandals are +4000. The over/under (point total) for the game is set at 58.5 points.
Watch Utah vs Idaho on FUBO (free trial)
The Arizona Republic: Utah 41, Idaho 14
Jeremy Cluff writes: "The Utes return some key talent, but how will they fare without
Kyle Whittingham? We don't see Devon Dampier and company having problems in Week 1."
Bookies.com: Bet Idaho with the points vs Utah
Bill Speros writes: "Morgan Scalley takes over at Utah after Kyle Whittingham spent 21 seasons unsuccessfully flirting with a college football playoff berth. The Utes script things and dominate early. They won the first quarter last season, 113-41. Utah’s bulk and brawn up front control the tempo and pace. The Vandals keep it respectable."
Dimers.com: Utah 45, Idaho 11
It writes: "After extensive simulations, our model gives Idaho a win probability of 2%, while Utah has a win probability of 98%."
ESPN: Utah has a 96.9% chance to defeat Idaho on Thursday
The site gives the Vandals a 3.1% shot at winning the college football Week 1 game.
Sports Betting Dime: Utah 33, Idaho 20.3
The site's formula predicts that the Utes will beat the Vandals in the Week 1 college football game.
Picks and Parlays: Utah 45, Idaho 7
David Anicetti writes: "The 33.5-point spread requires Utah to keep scoring well into the second half, but the Utes closed last season by scoring at least 31 points in each of their final five games. Idaho's rebuilt defense will struggle to contain Utah's ground game for four quarters, while the Utes have enough defensive talent to prevent the Vandals from consistently finishing drives. Utah will pull away behind its rushing attack and cover the large home spread."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Utah vs Idaho picks, predictions, odds for college football Week 1
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