Arizona vs. Utah Prediction and Odds for Thursday, December 1 (Points Keep Flying Wherever Wildcats Go)
By Ben Heisler
Pac 12 conference play continues tonight from the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City as the Utah Utes welcome the undefeated and No. 4 ranked Arizona Wildcats to town.
The Wildcats are an offensive juggernaut this season, averaging 97.5 points per game, winners of the 2022 Maui Invitational as they took down Cincinnati, and two ranked teams in San Diego State and Creighton for the title.
The Utes played for a championship as well out in Fort Myers, but fell in a defensive battle to Mississippi State 52-49. Utah is 5-2, 4-1 at home with a surprising loss to Idaho State back on Monday, November 14.
The Wildcats' top ranked offense has been held to (gasp), under 87 points in their last two games! Will they re-gain their offensive firepower against the Utes on the road?
Here are the latest odds for tonight's Pac 12 showdown:
Arizona vs. Utah Odds, Spread and Toal
Arizona vs. Utah Prediction and Pick
The Utes have put up very impressive numbers defensively this year, but even in their home building, I'm not sure if they'll be able to slow down Arizona.
The Wildcats are on another level with their offensive production, ranked third in the country in KenPom adjusted offensive efficiency, first in effective field goal percentage (EFG%), as well as No. 1 in 2-point percentage and No. 3 in 3-point shooting; making 45% of their attempts from downtown.
The Utes, to their credit, do match up well against Arizona. They're third-best in college basketball in opponent EFG%, while also allowing just 38.7% from inside the 3-point line (3rd-best), and teams are only shooting 25.6% from 3-point range against them (18th-best). What Arizona does well offensively, the Utes can present a challenge for. It's just a question of can they slow everything down, or just some of what the Wildcats want to do.
Meanwhile, while the Utes have played several low scoring games, it's not due to their offense being bad. They rank 77th in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, and play at top 85 pace. They're also a solid 3-point shooting team at over 36% from beyond the arc, an area Arizona has struggled to defend this season. Opponents are shooting 36.4% against the Wildcats from deep, 267th-best in college basketball.
Between the Wildcats' racing up and down the floor, and the Utes likely pushing pace to keep up, as well as making their 3-pointers, I see this game going above 154.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.