It’s time for the Jedd Fisch era to get underway in Tucson. After three straight losing seasons, the Arizona Wildcats look to take the first steps to rebuild the program this weekend.
The Wildcats did not win a single game during the 2020 football season, going 0-5 in a compressed schedule shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They woke up to find themselves dead last in the South division of the Pac-12 Conference. As a result, coach Kevin Sumlin was fired, ending what many would call a disastrous three-year tenure as head coach.
That brings us to Fisch. Fresh off his time as the New England Patriots’ quarterbacks coach in 2020, he was hired as the new head coach of Arizona. Now, as the headman in charge, it’s up to him to bring a winning program back to Arizona Stadium in Tucson.
Arizona Wildcats sports betting outlook
The thing about rebuilding projects is no matter how you look at them, the reality is they will take a lot of work and a lot of time. The same goes for the 2021 Arizona Wildcats. The team is a work in progress.
A few weeks ago, the odds from DraftKings Sportsbook had them at +50,000 to win the national championship. Meaning, if you bet $100 on Arizona to win it all, you would win $50,000. The team is +8,000 to win the Pac-12. That ranks them last among all 12 teams.
In the gambling world, that is considered to be really long odds. But hey, miracles can happen, right?
It’s important to note, though, that AZ betting apps cannot accept legal bets until the state officially launches Sept. 9. But here is something for the “glass half full” crowd. The team’s over/under projection for wins is , with odds sitting at +110 to hit the over. That means if you bet $100 on them to go over that win total, and the Cats win at least 3 games, you’ll make a profit of $110.
New coach plus young team equals unpredictable
The Wildcats are relying on young players to produce. That’s if the team hopes to win the 6 games needed to qualify for a bowl game. Among them are a pair of quarterbacks: redshirt freshman Gunner Cruz and freshman Will Plummer. Both are Arizona natives from Gilbert, and they are expected to begin the season as duel starters.
The team will also need junior wideout Stanley Berryhill III to step up. He was one of the bright spots during a winless campaign last season.
The defense will likely face some struggles. That’s common for teams under a first-year head coach. One thing that fans can point to is that when you have a young team with a new coach, it’s hard to predict what can happen. Translation: They might catch a few of these powerhouse teams by surprise.
The Wildcats kick their season off against BYU on Saturday. played on a neutral field at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Arizona enters the game as a underdog, with the over/under set at .
This year’s team is following the “it’s personal” mindset. Only time will tell if it’s personal enough for fans to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to faith in their team.
