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Utah vs. Arizona prediction and odds for Thursday, February 16

By Josh Yourish

Dec 17, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Vounteers at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2022; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats center Oumar Ballo (11) celebrates after defeating the Tennessee Vounteers at McKale Center. Mandatory Credit: Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports /
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You know how you’ve heard all yeah that there’s no elite team in college basketball and every team has big flaws and bad losses?

The No. 8 Arizona Wildcats are a perfect example of just that. They have a Player of the Year candidate in Azuolas Tubelis and he has a physically dominant center next to him in the front court in Oumar Ballo.

They’re both surrounded by experienced guards, and yet on Saturday they lost to Stanford who is under .500 and 5-9 in Pac 12 play.

Regardless of the loss, Arizona is still in the top tier of the conference of champions with UCLA, but just below those two powerhouses, are the Utah Utes.

Utah is 17-9 and 10-5 in conference play. The Utes last loss also came against Stanford, but they’ve won their last two heading into this matchup.

Here are the odds for Utah and Arizona in the desert.

Utah vs. Arizona odds, spread and total

Utah vs. Arizona prediction and pick

Last time these two matched up it was in Utah and the Utes dominated, 81-66. Though it might not have been a result that we should pull much from.

Branden Carlson, the 7-foot center for Utah wasn’t able to shut down Arizona’s frontcourt. Tubelis and Ballo combined for 42 points and 13 rebounds in that game.

The issue for Arizona was its outside shooting. The Wildcats’ starting guards, Kerr Kriisa and Pelle Larson combined for just six points and as a team they shot 4-for-28 from deep.

Utah hit 9-of-25 shots from 3 and those 15 points were quite literally the difference.

Arizona’s most recent loss, which was against Stanford, the Cardinal hit 10 of their 18 shots from 3. The Wildcats allow their opponents to shoot 32.6% on average, so those shooting nights and losses are somewhat of an aberration.

Arizona has a track record of getting revenge in the Pac 12. It lost to Oregon in Eugene on Jan. 14, and then beat the Ducks, 91-76 at home on Feb. 2. I think it’ll be a similar outcome tonight.

Pick: Arizona -10.5 (-110)

Follow all Josh Yourish’s bets HERE

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change