Point spread for Arizona State-Utah game grows after Cam Rising news
Will Utah quarterback Cam Rising play vs. Arizona State on Friday?
That's the question Big 12 college football fans want to know, and it appears the oddsmakers are leaning toward Rising being on the field in Tempe.
No. 16 Utah (4-1) started the week as 3.5-point favorites over Arizona State (4-1), but the point spread moved to 6.5 on Tuesday morning. During his weekly press conference on Monday, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said "there's a chance" Rising will play.
The 25-year-old Rising, who is widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in the country, hasn't played since Sept. 7 against Baylor when he was shoved into the water coolers on the sideline and injured his throwing hand.
Rising's backup is true freshman Isaac Wilson, the younger brother of Denver Broncos backup quarterback Zach Wilson. A 4-star recruit out of national high school football power Corner Canyon in Draper, Utah, Wilson has completed 55.7% of his passes while throwing 6 touchdown passes and 7 interceptions while filling in for Rising.
"We'll see what happens this week, but there's a chance," said Whittingham when asked if Rising will play vs. Arizona State. "It's still early in the week, but we're crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, as is Cam."
Whittingham made it clear Utah's staff is "following the recommendations from the doctors" when it comes to clearing Rising to play.
Since the Big 12 does not mandate injury reports, the extent of Rising's hand injury is unclear. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the injury was a dislocated finger on his throwing hand, as well as stitches for a deep laceration.
We'll find out Friday if Rising will be back on the field. In the meantime, here are the latest odds from DraftKings Sportsbook on Arizona State's Big 12 matchup vs. Utah.
Arizona State vs. Utah Betting Odds
Moneyline: Arizona State -250, Utah +205
Spread: Utah -6.5 (-112); Arizona State +6.5 (-108)
Over/Under: 45
How to watch: Friday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. MST on ESPN
Ben Sherman has been covering the sports world for most of his journalism career, including 17 years with The Oregonian/OregonLive. One of his favorite memories was covering the 1999 Fiesta Bowl - the first BCS National Championship Game - at Sun Devil Stadium.