The Air Force Academy Falcons will try to slow down the Utah State Aggies on Friday night when the teams meet in a Mountain West Conference matchup at Falcon Stadium. The Aggies (1-1) followed up a 24-14 season-opening loss to then-No. 25 Iowa by annihilating Idaho State 78-28 last Saturday. Now they face one of the best defenses in the nation. Air Force had some issues finishing drives in a 13-3 victory against Sam Houston last Saturday. Still, the Falcons are 2-0, after cruising past Robert Morris 42-7 in their opener. The Aggies have won the past two meetings — a 49-45 victory at Air Force in 2021 and a 34-27 home victory last year.

Kickoff on CBS Sports Network is set for 8 p.m. ET on Friday at Falcon Stadium near Colorado Springs. The Falcons are 9.5-point favorites in the latest Utah State vs. Air Force odds, according to the SportsLine consensus. The over/under for total points scored is set at 46.5. Before locking in any Air Force vs. Utah State picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a stunning profit of nearly $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Utah State vs. Air Force and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Air Force vs. Utah State: 

• Utah State vs. Air Force spread: Falcons -9
• Utah State vs. Air Force over/under: 45.5 points
• Utah State vs. Air Force money line: Aggies +263, Falcons -337
• Utah State: Is 6-3 ATS as a road underdog the past two seasons.
• Air Force: Is 9-6-1 ATS in conference games the past two years.
• Utah State vs. Air Force picks: See picks at SportsLine 
• Utah State vs. Air Force live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why Air Force can cover

Air Force hasn’t missed a beat after leading the nation in total defense and rushing offense in 2022. The Falcons went 5-4 against the spread in 2022 when favored by 9.5 or more and were 7-6 ATS overall. AFA allowed 256 yards per game last season, best in FBS, and the offense averaged 327 rushing yards. They are yielding 118 total yards while rushing for 309 through the first two games. They also have six sacks, two apiece from PJ Ramsey and Bo Richter.

The Falcons scored 28 points per game last season, when they went 10-3 and beat Baylor in the Armed Forces Bowl, and are on a similar pace. AFA ranked third in the nation in points allowed (13.3) in 2022 and have given up 10 in two games. The Falcons are led by quarterback Zac Larrier (team-high 164 rushing yards) and running backs John Lee Eldridge (8.3 per carry) and Owen Burk (112 yards). Larrier has attempted six passes but has an 84-yard TD strike. See which team to pick here.

Why Utah State can cover

Utah State’s offense looked impressive behind both quarterbacks Cooper Legas and Levi Williams last week. Legas was shaken up and was replaced by Williams, but both finished with two TD passes. Davon Booth scored twice and was one of three running backs with at least 80 yards, with Robert Briggs Jr. leading the way with 101. Rahsul Faison is the team’s top rusher through two games with 154. The Aggies finished with 591 total yards, 380 on the ground.

The Aggies averaged 8.6 yards per play against the Bengals. They also outgained Iowa, allowing 284 yards while putting up 329. Receiver Terrell Vaughn leads FBS with 23 receptions, has topped 70 yards in both games and scored three touchdowns. Utah State’s offensive performance should give it confidence. The defense struggled against the pass against Idaho State, but it is yielding less than 95 per game on the ground. The Aggies have three takeaways. See which team to pick here.

How to make Utah State vs. Air Force picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting that the teams combine for 53 points. The model also shows one side of the spread is hitting 60% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Utah State vs. Air Force on Friday night, and which side of the spread hits 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of almost $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.