Five of the last eight editions have been decided by two touchdowns or more, and that trend could very well continue Friday with the defensively stout Cougars coming in as double-digit favourites.

Potato Bowl Betting Analysis

The Cougars certainly didn’t get here on the strength of their offence, ranking outside the top 100 nationally in total yards – but they’re playing in their 13th bowl game in the past 14 years thanks to an incredible defence that limited opponents to 325 total yards per game. And BYU has been a solid play when giving 10 or more points, having covered four straight and 10 of its last 14 as a double-digit favourite. WMU is 2-6 ATS in its past eight games.

The total for this one sits at 49.5 – and BYU is no stranger to under-50 totals, having gone 1-4 O/U in games with numbers in the 40s this season. That was a season-long trend for the Cougars, who finished as one of the country’s top under plays (3-9 O/U). Western Michigan finished its schedule with four consecutive overs, primarily due to an overwhelmed defence that coughed up an average of 43.5 points over that stretch.

Western Michigan Broncos

The Broncos finished the year with a near-even scoring differential, scoring 33.2 points per game while allowing 33.3. They’re led offensively by junior rushing standout LeVante Bellamy, who racked up 1,172 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground while posting five 100-yard games on the season. Jayden Reed is the main attraction of a balanced receiving corps, finishing with nearly 800 yards and eight touchdowns through the air.

Brigham Young Cougars

Freshman quarterback Zach Wilson has performed admirably since taking over the starting reins midway through the season, throwing for 1,261 yards with eight touchdowns and just three interceptions. But while the Cougars’ running game produced 24 TDs, it averaged just 4.1 yards per carry while failing to see one player gain more than 423 yards. In fact, BYU didn’t produce a single 500-yard receiving option, either, with Matt Bushman’s 459 yards leading the way.

Broncos vs. Cougars Prediction