UCLA vs Utah Basketball Prediction, Odds & Picks

Eddie Griffin

With the Pac-12 regular season title in sight, #4 UCLA will look to get one win closer tonight as they visit Utah (11:00 pm ET, FS1).

UCLA (23-4, 14-2 Pac-12) leads Arizona (24-4, 13-4 Pac-12) by one and a half games, and with the two teams set to face off at Pauley Pavillion to close out the regular season on March 4, the Bruins can clinch the regular season title outright with even just one win in their next three games and a win over the Wildcats.

Can the Utes do their part to help create some drama over the final week of the regular season? Read on for our UCLA vs Utah basketball prediction, as well as our picks and analysis for tonight’s matchup at the Huntsman Center.

This is one of almost five dozen games on Thursday’s college basketball schedule, and while we are covering just a few of them here, we highly recommend Doc’s Sports if you are looking for picks you may not find at Betting News.

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UCLA vs Utah Odds

Odds are via FanDuel as of Thursday, February 23, 2023, at 7:35 pm ET.

Spread

  • UCLA -7.5 (-110)
  • Utah +7.5 (-110)

Over/Under

  • Over 129.5 (-115)
  • Under 129.5 (-105)

Moneyline

  • UCLA -320
  • Utah +255

Will the Bruins and Utes Have Another Low-Scoring Game?

When UCLA and Utah met in L.A. on January 12, the Bruins claimed a 68-49 win, led by a strong defensive performance and 17 points and seven assists from Tyger Campbell.

For Utah, the 49 points tied a season low, joining the 49 they scored in a three-point loss to Mississippi State in November. The Utes had almost as many turnovers (16) as they did field goals (18), and they shot only 36.7% (18 of 49) from the field and 31.6% (6 of 19) from three.

In addition to UCLA covering at home–they were favored by 11.5 or 12 depending on where you look–the game total finished 18 points away from the over.

Will we see a similar outcome tonight in Salt Lake City?

The under is 11-5-0 in UCLA’s Pac-12 games this season, including a 5-3-0 mark in road games. The under is 11-6-0 in Utah’s Pac-12 games this season, including a 4-4-0 mark in their home games.

As far as the spread goes, the Bruins are 9-7-0 ATS in their Pac-12 games this season, and they have covered in four of their last five games. On the road, they are 5-3-0 ATS in conference play.

The Utes, meanwhile, are 9-8-0 ATS in Pac-12 games this season. They are 5-3-0 ATS at home in conference play, but that is countered by the fact that they have failed to cover in five of their last six games overall.

UCLA vs Utah Prediction and Picks

Bruins vs Utes Prediction: UCLA to win

Bruins vs Utes Picks: Utah +7.5 (Best Value: FanDuel) & UCLA team total under 68.5 (Best Value: Caesars Sportsbook)

As much as I have been giving home underdogs love recently, I don’t really love Utah for the upset tonight. That said, this is a pretty sizable spread, and I think that the Utes are capable of pulling out a cover. Their recent form is pretty off-putting, but they have done a decent job of covering at home, and I’m opting to focus on that instead of recent results.

I like the under as well here, but instead of going for the game under, I’m going for the under on UCLA’s team total. The Bruins scored 68 points in the first meeting, and the Utes have held conference opposition under 68.5 points 13 times in 17 games this season.

Where to Bet on UCLA vs Utah

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Eddie Griffin

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.

Eddie Griffin has been writing about and betting on sports for over a decade. He joined the ranks of Betting News as a content manager. For more of his thoughts on sports and sports betting, you can follow him on Twitter.