The Arizona Wildcats (17-5) travel to face off against the Utah Runnin’ Utes (15-7) on Thursday, February 8th. This game will be played at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City and televised on PACN. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Arizona Wildcats vs Utah Runnin’ Utes
The Arizona Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
Arizona comes into this one as the favorite, as they have been in 21 of their 22 games this year. They are 16-5 in those games, and they have a 17-5 record overall.
On the road, the Wildcats are 4-5 this season, and they have gone 5-5 in their last 10 away from home. Their average scoring margin on the road is +0.7 points per game.
Arizona has an ATS record of 14-8 this season, including a 4-5 mark on the road. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are just 4-6 vs. the spread.
Today’s over/under line of 160.5 is higher than the average over/under line in Arizona’s games this season (158.3). So far this year, the over/under record in their games is 10-11-1. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 157 points and their OU record during this stretch is 1-2.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes Are Coming Off A Win
Utah has been a much better team at home this season, going 13-2 compared to 2-5 on the road. They have won 11 straight games at home, and their average scoring margin at home is +15.2.
Overall, the Runnin’ Utes are 15-7, including a 6-5 record in Pac-12 play. They have gone 9-2 in non-conference games.
Against the spread, Utah has been .500 this season with an 11-11 record. At home, their ATS mark is 9-6 and over their last 10 games as the underdog, they are just 2-7-1.
Utah’s over/under record for the season is 9-11-2. The average scoring total in their games is 149.6 points, which is higher than the average over/under line in their games (146.7). In their last three games, the over/under record is 1-2 with an average scoring total of 148 points.
Arizona Offense Breakdown
Arizona’s offense is coming off a strong performance, scoring 82 points against Stanford. They had an overall field goal percentage of 47.7% and made 14/18 free throws. The team’s top scorer is Caleb Love, who comes into today’s matchup with an average of 18.9, while Oumar Ballo also maintains a PPG average of 13 leading up to the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Love (G) | 18.9 | 5.0 | 3.3 |
| Oumar Ballo (C) | 13.0 | 9.4 | 1.0 |
| Pelle Larsson (G) | 12.5 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
Utah Offense Breakdown
The Utah offense is coming off a game in which they scored 73 points vs. Colorado. Overall their field goal percentage was 46.4% while connecting on 7 threes. The top scorer for the Runnin’ Utes was Gabe Madsen with 21 points, while Deivon Smith also added 17 to the scoreboard.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branden Carlson (C) | 16.1 | 6.4 | 2.0 |
| Gabe Madsen (G) | 13.0 | 4.2 | 2.1 |
| Cole Bajema (G) | 9.1 | 2.8 | 0.8 |
Arizona Team Defense
So far, the Wildcats’ defense is ranked 168th in the country at 72.0 points per contest. The Arizona defense is coming off a game in which they gave up a total of 71 points and allowed Stanford to connect on 6 threes.
Utah Team Defense
At present, the Runnin’ Utes’ defense is nationally ranked 150th, allowing 71.2 points per game. Utah’s three-point defense is currently 193rd in the country at 8.4 made threes per game. In terms of overall field goal percentage, opponets have hit 42.0% of their shots vs. Utah.
Wildcats vs Runnin’ Utes Trends
- Through their last three road games, Arizona has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 79 points per game.
- Through their last three home contests, the Runnin’ Utes offense has averaged 67 points per game while allowing an average of 85. Utah posted an overall record of 0-3 while going 0-3 ATS.
- Going back to their previous three games as the underdog, Utah has an ATS mark of 0-3 while going 0-3 straight up.
- Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 7-3. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.
Wildcats vs Runnin’ Utes Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +5.5, the Runnin’ Utes is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the total, the line is currently sitting at 160.5 and our model has the Wildcats and Runnin’ Utes finishing with a combined 144 points. Our pick is to take the under.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:February 8, 2024 Arizona Wildcats, Utah Utes