The Utah Runnin’ Utes (11-3) travel to face off against the Arizona Wildcats (11-3) on Saturday, January 6th. This game will be played at McKale Center in Tucson and televised on PACN. Arizona is coming off a win in their previous game, while Utah is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Arizona State. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Utah Runnin’ Utes vs Arizona Wildcats
The Utah Runnin’ Utes Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
Heading into today’s game, the Utah Runnin’ Utes are 11-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. So far, they have gone 2-1 on the road and have an average scoring margin of +.7 points per game away from home.
Utah is coming off a tough 82-70 loss to Arizona State in their last game. Over their last 10 road games, the Utes are just 3-7.
Utah’s ATS mark for the season currently sits at 8-6, but they are just 2-7-1 vs. the spread in their last 10 games as the underdog. On the road, the Utes are 2-1 ATS this year and 3-7 in their last 10 road games. Over their last three games as the underdog, Utah has gone 2-1 ATS.
Utah’s over/under record for the season is 7-6-1, and today’s over/under line of 165.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (144.5). So far, 10 of their games have finished with fewer points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 157 points, which is higher than the season average of 151.1 points per game.
The Arizona Wildcats Are Coming Off A Win
The Arizona Wildcats enter today’s game with a record of 11-3 and are favored by 11 points over the Utah Runnin’ Utes. So far this season, Arizona has been favored in 13 of their 14 games and have gone 10-3 in those games. At home, the Wildcats are a perfect 8-0 and have won their last eight games at home.
In their last game, Arizona took on Colorado and won by a score of 97-50. Over their last 10 games at home, the Wildcats have gone 9-1. On the season, Arizona has an average scoring margin of +36.2 points per game at home.
As the favorite, Arizona has an ATS record of 10-3 this season. At home, the Wildcats are a perfect 8-0 vs. the spread. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, Arizona is 7-3 vs. the spread.
So far this season, the over/under record for Arizona games is 7-7. Today’s over/under line of 165.5 is higher than the average over/under line in their games this season (159.2). Over their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 with an average scoring total of 170 points.
Utah Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 80.9 points per game, Utah struggled in their previous game. Against Arizona State, the Runnin’ Utes scored 70 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 41.2%. Branden Carlson is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 18.5. Meanwhile, Gabe Madsen also brings a PPG average of 13.6 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branden Carlson (C) | 18.5 | 6.5 | 2.2 |
| Gabe Madsen (G) | 13.6 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Rollie Worster (G) | 10.6 | 5.0 | 5.9 |
Arizona Offense Breakdown
Arizona’s offense is coming off a good game, putting up 97 points vs. Colorado. Overall, they hit 56.3% of their shots from the field and went 6/10 from the free-throw line. Caleb Love is the current leading scorer for the team, with an average of 17.3 as they approach today’s matchup. In addition, Oumar Ballo brings a PPG average of 12.5 into the game.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Caleb Love (G) | 17.3 | 4.9 | 2.9 |
| Oumar Ballo (C) | 12.5 | 8.3 | 1.0 |
| Pelle Larsson (G) | 12.5 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
Utah Team Defense
At this time, the Runnin’ Utes’ defense is positioned 121st in the country, permitting 70.2 points per game. Against Arizona State in their most recent game, the Utah defense gave up a total of 82 points while allowing Arizona State to hit 50% of their shots.
Arizona Team Defense
On the defensive side, Arizona is currently hovering around the NCAA’s average for points allowed, conceding an average of 71.7 points per game. In their most recent game, the Arizona defense struggled to defend the three-point line, as Colorado knocked down 11 three-pointers on their way to 50 points.
Runnin’ Utes vs Wildcats Trends
- When looking at their past five road matchups, Utah has an ATS record of 2-3 while averaging 68 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
- In their last ten games at home, the Wildcats have a straight up record of 5-5 while going 4-5-1 vs. the spread. The team averaged 81 points per game in this stretch.
- Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Runnin’ Utes have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-3.
- Arizona has done well both straight up and vs the spread when favored to win the game, going 2-1 SU and 2-1 ATS in their last three games.
Runnin’ Utes vs Wildcats Prediction
For a point-spread wager in this Wildcats vs. Wildcats game, we suggest taking the Wildcats at -11. Even though our predictions have the Wildcats winning 75-69, we see the Runnin’ Utes as the better choice on the point-spread.
Regarding the over/under, the current line is set at 165.5, and our model predicts the Runnin’ Utes and Wildcats to score a combined 144 points. We recommend betting on 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:January 6, 2024 Arizona Wildcats, Uncategorized, Utah Runnin' Utes