Arizona vs Utah Odds, Picks and Predictions: Fast Pace, Plenty of Scoring in Salt Lake

The Utah Utes put their perfect home record on the line tonight against the Arizona Wildcats. They’ve hosted 12 games at the Jon M. Huntsman Center and they’ve come away victorious all 12 times.

It’s an important game in the Pac-12 standings as the Wildcats are now in first place by a single game after rattling off three straight wins. 

Looking at college basketball odds, the Wildcats are 5.5-point favorites to put an end to Utah's home streak while the total resides at 160.5. 

Plenty of fireworks are expected as both teams like to get out and run and play with pace, which has me eyeing the player prop market to target heavy-usage players in what ought to be an uptempo game. 

Check out our college basketball picks and predictions for Arizona vs. Utah on Thursday, February 8.

Arizona vs Utah best odds

Arizona vs Utah picks and predictions

Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats hold a one-game lead in the Pac-12 standings and are a threat to win it all come March. They check into tonight’s game ranked sixth overall, featuring an elite offense (sixth) and defense (11th). 

One cause for concern going forward is that while they’re undeniably talented, the Wildcats haven’t proven to be capable of consistently winning games away from their home court. After a win in Eugene during their most recent home game, the Wildcats are still just 3-3 in true away games. 

While the defensive metrics are great overall, this team has tended to loosen up on that end of the court when hitting the road. Arizona has surrendered at least 73 points in all six road games and its opponents have averaged 81.3 in those contests. 

You might be thinking that those numbers aren’t necessarily reflective of inefficient defense but might have more to do with Arizona’s lightning-quick style of play resulting in more possessions per game and therefore more scoring for both sides. 

That’d be a good point and it does hold merit — Arizona ranks 11th in KenPom’s adjusted tempo metric, regularly pushing the ball up the floor in a hurry to maximize the number of possessions in a game. It’s not a bad plan usually as a team with the talent, athleticism, and skill advantage in most games should seek to maximize the sample size of events in a game to minimize randomness. 

Arizona’s Thursday night opponent also likes to get out and run as Craig Smith’s Utah Utes rank 69th in adjusted tempo. When both teams rank in the Top 100 in possessions per game, it’s a good sign that a fair amount of points will be scored. 

That was true in the first matchup when they combined for 165 points in a 92-73 Wildcats home win. It’s expected to be the case again in Salt Lake City as the bookmakers have set the total at 160.5. 

Whether it be due to inefficiency or pace, Arizona has consistently surrendered offensive production when playing on the road. Utah is happy to oblige in a pace war and should have several offensive contributors stuff the stat sheet. 

The player that I’ve circled for Thursday night is point guard Deivon Smith. The Georgia Tech transfer has emerged as a focal point of this offense. He barely factored into the first matchup, playing just 19 minutes off the bench while recording seven points and two rebounds. His scant production wasn’t surprising considering he was a bit role player at that point in the season with five single-digit scoring efforts in his first six games. 

However, since the first matchup, Smith has had six double-digit scoring efforts in seven games while averaging 15.1 ppg. He’s done more than just score, conducting the offensive attack while racking up eight or more assists on five separate occasions. Think that’s all? Think again — he’s crashed the boards hard, snagging 10 or more rebounds three times. 

Smith’s do-it-all, perhaps do-everything, approach lately makes him a nightly threat for a triple-double. That was evident in Utah’s most recent win over Colorado when he scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out nine assists. 

His points + rebounds + assists line is set at 24.5, which is too low. He’s averaged 28.4 since the first meeting between these teams and he’s gone above this number in six of seven games since earning a larger role. 

Fellow guard Rollie Worster (9.9 points, 4.9 points, 5.5 assists per game) is out with a leg injury, meaning even more of the offensive burden will fall on Smith’s shoulders. He’ll be ready.

My best bet: Deivon Smith Over 24.5 points + rebounds + assists (-106 at FanDuel)

Arizona vs Utah same-game parlay

Deivon Smith Over 24.5 pts+rebs+asts

Gabe Madsen Over 2.5 made threes

Brenden Carlson Over 1.5 made threes

+450 at DraftKings

Arizona's leaky road defense combined with the game projected to play at a rapid pace makes this an appealing environment for player prop hunters. 

Lloyd’s squad has consistently failed to defend the perimeter well, ranking 318th in 3-pointers allowed (8.5) and 309th in 3-point attempts allowed (24.6) per game. Opponents are hitting from downtown at a 34.7% clip. 

Gabe Madsen is a sharpshooter averaging 2.7 made three-pointers per game while cashing in at 42% from downtown, so his skills will come in handy in this matchup. 

The other player I’m betting on is big man Brenden Carlson, the team’s leading scorer with 16.1 ppg. He was held in check with just seven points in the first matchup but even Lloyd admitted after the game that this was unlikely to happen again. Carlson will look to space out the Wildcats with his shooting prowess to pull Arizona big man Oumar Ballo away from the basket. I like the plus money I’m getting on a good player and good shooter, at home, against a poor three-point defense, in a bounceback spot. 

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Arizona vs Utah spread and Over/Under analysis

Arizona opened -5 but has been bet up to -5.5 or -6 across most books depending on where you look. That being said, there’s already been some buyback at at least one location with the line returning to -5. 

The total can be had for either 160 or 160.5 depending on where you shop. Be sure to utilize our college basketball line movement tool to track future fluctuations and ensure you grab the best price available.

Arizona has been a profitable squad at 14-8 against the spread this season while Utah is treading water at 11-11 ATS. After a strong start to the season, the Utes have fizzled to 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games. 

The Utes check in at 41st overall in KenPom, ranking 45th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 47th in adjusted defensive efficiency. 

If looking back at recent history, Utah has gotten the upper hand slightly with six covers in the last 10 meetings. That being said, Arizona has been on a hot streak at 3-1 ATS across the last four. 

These teams met early in the year with Arizona grabbing a 19-point victory at the McKale Center. Arizona covered the 12-point spread while the teams combined for 165 points, which narrowly went Over the total of 164.5. 

Both teams like to get out and run, so there’s a reason why the total is in the 160s yet again. Utah ranks 69th in adjusted tempo (KenPom) while Arizona is 11th. If you like basketball teams that get out and run, this game is right up your alley. 

Arizona vs Utah betting trend to know

Deivon Smith has eclipsed 24.5 points + rebounds + assists in six of his last seven games since being rewarded with a larger role in the offense. Find more college basketball betting trends for Arizona vs. Utah.

Arizona vs Utah game info

Arizona vs Utah key injuries

Stay updated with the latest picks, odds, and news! Tap the to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Pages related to this topic