The Arizona Wildcats’ 13-game losing streak has a decent shot at being snapped this Saturday, when they host the San Diego State Aztecs. It will be the first Wildcats game with legal sports betting in Arizona.
A possible Arizona win is the takeaway from the betting lines put forth by three prominent Arizona betting apps — DraftKings Arizona, BetMGM Arizona and FanDuel Arizona.
For Arizona Wildcats betting, DraftKings and FanDuel are listing Arizona at -1.5, while BetMGM has the Wildcats at -2.
The Wildcats and Aztecs will face off at 7 p.m. Arizona time Saturday, with the Pac-12 Network carrying the contest live.
A Monumental Opener
A win over the Aztecs would mean a whole lot to first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, who takes over a college football program that’s gone 4-8 and 0-5 in its last two seasons.
Fisch’s squad lost its opener against BYU in Las Vegas, 24-16, but managed to cover the 13.5-point spread.
Fast forward a week, and the Wildcats match up against an SDSU squad that thumped New Mexico State, 28-10, in its opener last week.
The Aztecs are coming off a 4-4 season in head coach Brady Hoke’s first season back in San Diego, and have posted winning records each full season dating back to 2010.
Fisch and company will let redshirt freshman QB Gunner Cruz let it rip come Saturday, after the former Washington State Cougar threw for 336 yards and a touchdown in his debut with the team.
Cruz showed he has a natural connection with senior wideout Stanley Berryhill III, with the two combining for 12 receptions and 102 yards in the team’s opener.
Expect Fisch to put more and more of the offensive load on Cruz’s shoulders, which could spell trouble for an Aztecs defense that surrendered 326 passing yards to the Aggies in its opener.
Unfamiliar Foes
The Wildcats and Aztecs have met nine times, dating back to 1971, but haven’t met in 20 years, when Arizona beat SDSU, 23-10 at Qualcomm Stadium.
Arizona has won four straight contests against the Aztecs, defeating them, 17-3, in 2000: 35-16 in 1998 and 31-28 in 1997.
The 2021 iteration of the Aztecs’ offense will rely on a run-first system, led by senior running back Greg Bell.
Bell ran for 161 yards and a touchdown in the team’s opener, averaging 7.7 yards per carry in the process.
It’s safe to assume that the Aztecs will rely on a similar game plan against the Wildcats at Arizona Stadium on Saturday night.
The Wildcats’ last win came against the Colorado Buffaloes on Oct. 5, 2019, some 706 days ago.
If Fisch and his players can execute a game plan that thwarts Bell’s rushing yards, then Saturday night could put that long losing streak to rest.
