The Wildcats are coming off a 5-7 season and were just 3-6 in PAC-12 play but are headed in the right direction under third-year head coach Jedd Fisch.
Fisch is 6-18 over his first two seasons, but he and his staff have done wonders with the offense and are expected to focus more on the defense this season.
DraftKings Arizona has set a five-game win total for their 2023 campaign. Will the Wildcats end their season Over or Under the oddsmakers’ total? Find out when we preview the 2023 Arizona Wildcats Future betting odds.
Arizona Wildcats Season Preview
The Wildcats return eight starters on offense, including quarterback Jayden de Laura and wide receivers Jacob Cowing and Tetairoa McMillan. De Laura is a dual-threat quarterback who can make plays with his arm and his legs. Cowing and McMillan are big-play receivers who can stretch the field.
Key Offensive Players
- Jayden de Laura: The Wildcats return their starting quarterback, Jayden de Laura. He threw for 3,685 yards and 25 TDs with an additional 122 rushing yards with four TDs in 2022.
- Jacob Cowing: The senior wideout hauled in a team-high 85 balls for 1,034 yards and seven TDs. Cowing is projected to be one of the top receivers in the college game.
- Michael Wiley: The Wildcats also return their leading rusher, Michael Wiley. Wiley rushed for 771 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.
- Tetairoa McMillan: McMillan is a big-play receiver who can stretch the field. He caught 62 passes for 702 yards and eight touchdowns in 2022.
Key Defensive Players
- Jacob Manu: Manu is the lone returning starter from last season. Manu recorded 54 tackles with one sack and two deflected passes.
- Ephesians Prysock: Prysock saw playing time as a freshman with 16 tackles and is projected to be one of the top corners this season.
Why I love Jayden de Laura… pic.twitter.com/sWz9B097hP
— Max Browne (@MaxBrowne4) September 22, 2022
Arizona Wildcats 2023 Schedule
The Wildcats have a difficult schedule ahead of them. Four of their first seven games are on the road, with tough matchups against Mississippi State and conference matchups against USC and Washington State. Rounding out their away schedule is a game against Colorado and their season finale against in-state rival Arizona State.
Their home schedule isn’t much easier. Arizona hosts Northern Arizona to open the season but has challenging contests against UTEP, Washington, Oregon State, UCLA, and host Utah in their final home game of the season.
Arizona Wildcats 2023 Schedule:
9/2 NAU
9/9 @ Miss State
9/16 UTEP
9/23 @ Stanford
9/30 Washington
10/7 @ USC
10/14 @ WSU
10/28 OSU
11/4 UCLA
11/11 @ Colorado
11/18 Utah
11/25 @ ASUHow many games do they win?
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) April 26, 2023
Arizona Wildcats 2023 Season Predictions
Here are some key betting odds for the Arizona Wildcats in 2023:
- Win total: 5 (Over +100, Under -120) DraftKings
- Pac-12 champion: +8000 DraftKings
As you can see, the Wildcats are not considered to be one of the favorites to win the Pac-12 or make the College Football Playoff. However, they have real offensive talent with a strong coaching staff to surprise some people in 2023, but will it be enough to exceed the oddsmakers’ total?
Fisch was brought in to rebuild the program, and he’s done just that. The Wildcats are competitive again for the first time in ages, mostly due to the Arizona offense in general and, in particular, sophomore QB de Laura.
The offense is loaded with eight Wildcats returning from an offensive unit that averaged 462 yards and 31 points per game. Those are outstanding numbers, but the Wildcats ranked fifth or worse in every major offensive category in the conference. Teams like USC, UCLA, and Washington are all expected to be strong contenders for the PAC-12 title this season.
The Wildcats’ offense can score with anyone, but the real challenge is on the defensive side of the ball. Arizona did a nice job using the transfer portal but only returned one starter from last season’s squad. That will make it difficult against some of the PAC-12 offensive powerhouses.
Scoring the football isn’t going to be a problem for the Wildcats offense. Arizona can outscore every team they play this season and will likely be one of the top offenses in the college game. What they lack is a strong defense.
Fisch has done a terrific job rebuilding the offense, and he claims the defense is his main focus this season, and the new recruits could very well be better than what Arizona put on the field this season.
Finally, the +100 price for Arizona to win more than five games this season is good. The Wildcats offense will light up the scoreboard – Fisch is a terrific coach with an exceptional staff, and they’ll have the defense ready by conference time, and Arizona will win more than five games this season. Arizona Over 5 Wins +100 (DraftKings).
For more news about betting on sports in Arizona, follow us at Betting AZ.
