UCLA vs Utah College Basketball Predictions and Odds Jan 20
UCLA vs Utah Betting Preview
SportsMemo college basketball capper JM Sports offers his UCLA vs Utah betting preview for Thursday, January 20. At the time of posting, the Bruins have opened as a 9.5-point road favorite over the home Utes, with the total sitting at 144.5 points.
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| Thursday, January 20 | Pac-12 Basketball Betting Notes |
|---|---|
| Point Spread: | UCLA Bruins -9.5 vs Utah Utes |
| Total: | 144.5 Points |
| Game Time: | 11:00pm ET / 8:00pm PT |
| Arena: | Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT |
| TV: | FS1 |
UCLA vs Utah Analysis
UCLA heads to Utah as they look to continue their push for the #1 spot in the Pac-12. UCLA holds a 10-6 edge against Utah dating back to 1997, while sweeping the four match-ups in the last 3 years. Utah sits in 12th place in the conference, they have struggled immensely on the offensive side of the ball, and now they are playing without Carlson, who is their definitive go to guy. UCLA opened at a 9.5 point favorite, while UCLA is obviously the favorite, the same can’t be said when you talk about covering the spread.
UCLA Using Height to its Advantage
UCLA holds an impressive 11-2 record the year, with the only two losses coming at the hands of Oregon by just three points, and against the #1 team in the nation at the time, Gonzaga. They have yet to lose a game on the road, and they have came away with the win in four out of their last five games. This UCLA team is a top-20 team according to KenPom in the efficiency rankings, coming in at #18 on offense & #19 on defense. Utah has played the more difficult schedule, but UCLA has dominated games in the turnover battle (#8 in TO%) and their size has been an asset. UCLA is just outside the top-50 in average height, and with Utah’s injury concerns, that height is even more of an advantage.
Injuries Hinder Utah
As I alluded to, Utah is without Carlson, their biggest contributor to this team and a 7-foot, dominating presence on the inside. At full strength, this game had potential to be exciting, but questions now arise. Utah has played five top-100 offenses, but UCLA has the 2nd best offense they have seen on the season, behind only Arizona. They have allowed over 81 PPG against those five opponents, losing all five games straight up by an average of 15.6 points! This Utah team can stay fresh, rotating plenty of players off the bench, and they are a taller team on average than UCLA, yet that hasn’t been enough for Utah this season. They are just 8-10 on the year (6-9 against the spread) and they have lost their last five games straight, but they have shown a glimmer of hope posting a 6-3 record on their home court.
UCLA vs Utah Prediction
The Pac-12 has some depth this season, with a handful of teams in the hunt for March Madness, Utah looks to rebound from a tough start to the season, especially in conference play, while UCLA looks to dethrone Arizona. UCLA has gone under in all four of their road games this season, while Utah has gone under in five of the eight games they have played at home.
Prediction: Utah/UCLA UNDER 145.5
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UCLA vs Utah Preview from GoldSheet
NCAAB Stat Sheet
Each day, WagerTalk handicapper Ralph Michaels puts together his College Basketball Stat Sheet, which offers a head-to-head comparison for how teams are performing in a number of key areas heading into a game. Check out Thursday’s sheet, with notes on tonight’s UCLA vs Utah contest.
Happy Hour Tip-Off Show
Get your daily fix of college hoops betting information with Joe Raineri and a rotating panel of handicapping guests. The Happy Hour Tip-Off Show will broadcast Monday through Friday at 1:45pm ET / 10:45am PT. Pull up a barstool and join us as we break down tonight’s college basketball card, including this UCLA vs Utah clash, from a sports betting perspective.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the college basketball point spreads, moneylines, first half lines and betting percentages for all of Thursday’s NCAAB games, including this UCLA vs Utah showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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