The Utah Runnin’ Utes (17-14) travel to face off against the BYU Cougars (22-8) on Saturday, March 8th. This game will be played at Marriott Center in Provo and televised on ESPNU. BYU is coming off a win in their previous game, while Utah is looking to get back on track from a loss to the West Virginia. Tip-off is set for 10:00 ET.

Utah Runnin’ Utes vs BYU Cougars

The Runnin’ Utes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Runnin’ Utes fell to 17-14 on the season after a narrow 71-69 home loss to West Virginia on Tuesday. Utah entered the game as 4-point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points of 140 exceeded the O/U line of 136.

Utah trailed 30-29 at halftime and allowed 41 points in the 2nd half while scoring 40 themselves. The Utes will look to bounce back in their next game.

The Cougars Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

BYU Cougars Recent Game/Games

BYU improved to 22-8 on the season with an 88-85 road win over Iowa State on Tuesday. The Cougars entered the game as +8.5 point underdogs and not only pulled off the upset but also covered the spread.

BYU led 33-24 at halftime but allowed 44 points in the second half while scoring 35. The game’s total points hit 173, surpassing the O/U line of 149.5.

Runnin’ Utes Offense Breakdown

Utah’s offense put up 69 points in their last game, shooting 38% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 48%. They hit 9 of 28 from beyond the arc, shooting 32.1%, and went 22 of 32 from the free-throw line, converting 68.8% of their attempts. The Utes also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 11 assists.

Gabe Madsen led the way with 23 points, hitting 5 threes on 14 attempts, while Javon Small added 18 points and 7 assists. Amani Hansberry, Joseph Yesufu, and Mike Sharavjamts each contributed 12 points, with Yesufu and Hansberry both shooting 50% from deep.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

BYU’s offense put up 88 points in their latest game, shooting 44.1% from the field and hitting 11 of 32 from beyond the arc at a 34.4% rate. Their effective field goal percentage was 54.2%, and they were strong from the free-throw line, connecting on 25 of 31 attempts for 80.6%.

Richie Saunders led the way with 23 points, despite shooting just 4 of 12 from the field. Dallin Hall added 22 points, hitting 4 of 9 from three-point range, while Tamin Lipsey contributed 15 points and a team-high 8 assists.

Runnin’ Utes Team Defense

Utah’s defense held their opponent to 71 points on 38% shooting from the field, including 45% from two-point range. The Runnin’ Utes also limited their opponent’s three-point shooting to 32%, with just 9 made threes on 28 attempts.

Despite sending their opponent to the line 32 times, Utah’s defense saw them hit 22 free throws, a 68% success rate. The Runnin’ Utes also gave up 14 offensive rebounds in the game.

Cougars Team Defense

Utah’s defense held their opponent to 71 points on 38% shooting from the field. They allowed 10 two-point baskets on 22 attempts, a 45% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Utah’s defense gave up 9 threes on 28 attempts, with their opponent shooting 32%. They also sent them to the line 32 times, where they hit 22 free throws.

Runnin’ Utes vs Cougars Trends

• When looking at their past three road matchups, Utah has an ATS record of 0-3 while averaging 71 per game. The team went 0-3 overall in these games.
• BYU has played well in their previous five home games, going 4-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 82 points per game while allowing 82. The team also performed well vs the spread at 4-1.
• Looking back on the team’s last three games as the underdog, the Runnin’ Utes have a straight up record of 1-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 1-2.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the favorite, the Cougars have a straight up record of 8-2. Their record vs the spread in these games was 7-2-1.

Runnin’ Utes vs Cougars Prediction

For a pick on the point-spread in this Cougars vs. Runnin’ Utes matchup, our bet is to grab the Runnin’ Utes at +12.5. Even though our projections have the Cougars winning 75-72, we see the Runnin’ Utes as the play on the point-spread.

Right now, the over/under line for the game is sitting at 151.5 and given that our model is projecting 147 points between the teams, we like the under.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* 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.