Arizona Wildcats vs. Utah Runnin’ Utes Betting Preview

Arizona Wildcats (17-5 SU, 14-8 ATS) vs. Utah Runnin’ Utes (15-7 SU, 11-11 ATS)

When: Thursday, February 8th, 8:00 PM (ET)

Where: Jon M. Huntsman Center, UT, Salt Lake City

TV: PACN

Point Spread: AZ -5.5/UT +5.5

Total: 160

Money Line: Cats -240/Utes +192

Notable Injuries

Wildcats

• Dylan Anderson (Out) Redshirt
• Henri Veesaar (Out) Elbow

Runnin’ Utes

• Rollie Worster (Out) Leg
• Wilguens Exacte Jr. (Out) Redshirt

Recent Form

Arizona comes into this game as the favorite, as they have been in 21 of their 22 games this season. They have a record of 16-5 when favored, and they have gone 8-3 in Pac-12 play.

On the road, the Wildcats have gone 4-5 this season, and their average scoring margin is +0.7 points per game. Over their last 10 road games, Arizona has gone 5-5.

Arizona’s over/under record this season sits at 10-11-1, and today’s over/under line of 160 is similar to the average over/under line in their games this year (158.3). So far, 11 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 157 points, which is right in line with their season-long average.

Arizona has an ATS record of 14-8 this season, including a mark of 4-5 on the road. Over their last 10 games as the favorite, the Wildcats are 4-6 vs. the spread.

Utah is 13-3 this season when they are favored and 2-4 when they are the underdog. They have won their last 11 games at home and are 10-0 in their last 10 at home.

So far this season, Utah has a record of 15-7, including a record of 6-5 in Pac-12 play. They have gone 9-2 in non-conference games.

Utah’s over/under record this season is 9-11-2, and today’s line of 160 is higher than the average over/under line in their games (146.7). Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 148 points, and their OU record in that span is 1-2.

Utah’s ATS record this season is currently 11-11. At home, they are 9-6 vs. the spread. Over their last 3 home games, the Runnin’ Utes have gone 2-1 ATS. As the underdog, Utah is just 2-7-1 ATS over their last 10 games.

Analysis

The Arizona offense is coming off a game where they scored 82 points against Stanford. They posted a field goal percentage of 47.7% and connected on 6 threes. Oumar Ballo led the team in scoring, putting up 18 points. Additionally, Caleb Love contributed 18 points for the Wildcats.

So far, the Wildcats’ defense is ranked 170th in the country at 72.0 points per contest. In terms of field goal percentage allowed, Arizona’s defense has allowed opponents to shoot 42.5% from the field, including a three-point shooting percentage allowed of 35.3% this season.

The Utah offense is coming off a game where they scored 73 points against Colorado. They posted a field goal percentage of 46.4% and connected on 7 threes. Branden Carlson is currently the leading scorer for the team, entering today’s matchup with an average of 16.1. Meanwhile, Gabe Madsen also brings a PPG average of 13 into the game.

At present, the Runnin’ Utes’ defense is nationally ranked 149th, allowing 71.2 points per game. Against Colorado in their most recent game, the Utah defense gave up a total of 68 points while allowing Colorado to hit 46% of their shots.

Betting Trends

• Across the Wildcats last ten road games, the team averaged 81 points per game while allowing 80. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 4-5-1, while going 5-5 straight-up.
• Across their three previous home games, Utah has an ATS mark of 0-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 0-3 while averaging 67 points per game.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Runnin’ Utes have a straight up record of 2-8. Their record vs the spread in these games was 2-7-1.
• Through their last five matchups as the betting favorite, the Wildcats have a good straight up record, but their ATS mark is just 2-3.

Kevin West’s Pick To Cover The Spread

There are much better games on tonight’s card to bet, but our readers wanted us to post our opinion on this game, so here goes! The glaring variables in this game are that Arizona tends to not play as good of defense on the road. Utah is undefeated at home. The Wildcats have absolutely ROLLED Utah in the past two matchups, however, they were both played in AZ at the McKale Center. The other thing that stands out is that Wooster will miss tonight. Lastly, Arizona is playing really well right now. While my first tendencey was to take the points in this game, once I sorted out all the variables, it turned out that Arizona is the team to bet tonight. Good luck!