Stanford vs. Utah Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 29 (Take the Over)
Utah was once dominating Pac-12 foes at the Huntsman Center, but the Utes have lost their last two home games and six of eight games overall to fall under .500 in league play.
The NCAA Tournament is a longshot dream for both of these teams, as Stanford has lost eight of its last 11 games following a 4-2 start to league play. Utah is a big favorite on Thursday night. Can they get back on track as the regular season winds down in their first home game in nearly three weeks?
Here’s the betting preview for Thursday’s tilt with a best bet.
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Stanford vs. Utah Odds, Spread and Total
Stanford vs. Utah Betting Trends
- Stanford is 12-14-1 ATS this season
- Utah is 12-15 ATS this season
- Stanford is 5-5-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- Utah is 9-8 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 16-11 in Stanford games this season
- The OVER is 14-12-1 in Utah games this season
Stanford vs. Utah How to Watch
- Date: Thursday, Feb. 29
- Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Huntsman Center
- How to watch (TV): Pac-12 Network
- Stanford record: 12-15 (7-10 Pac-12)
- Utah record: 16-11 (7-9 Pac-12)
Stanford vs. Utah Key Players to Watch
Stanford
Maxime Raynaud: The 7-foot-1 junior forward has been a bright spot this season for Stanford, averaging 15.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. Raynaud had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Utah Jan. 14. Raynaud had just 14 points over the last two games combined before going for 29 points on 10-of-16 shooting in Saturday’s loss to Oregon State.
Utah
Branden Carlson: Utah has had a different leading scorer in each of its last three games, but Carlson leads the way at 16.5 points per game. Carlson is the team’s leading rebounder, too, at 7 boards per night and has four double-doubles in league play. He was held to just 6 points on 3-of-8 shooting in Saturday’s 24-point loss to Colorado.
Stanford vs. Utah Prediction and Pick
Utah lost in a three-overtime thriller to Arizona (105-99) on Feb. 8, then didn’t have the fresh legs two days later in an eight-point loss to Arizona State. It’s time for the Utes to turn around their lackluster play at Huntsman Center and they have a great matchup to do just that when Stanford comes to town.
Utah’s offense, ranked No. 47 in KenPom, is No. 55 in effective field goal percentage and faces a Stanford defense that is No. 250 in effective field goal percentage and No. 285 defending shots from beyond the arc. Stanford’s defense doesn’t force turnovers (No. 333 in steal percentage) and are 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (76.4 points allowed per game) and last in opposing field goal percentage (45.1%).
Utah’s offense has a great matchup, but its defense does not. Where Utah’s defense struggles, Stanford’s offense excels. Utah has the No. 5 average height in the nation, but the Utes’ big men have trouble containing the perimeter. Utah is No. 257 in defending 3-pointers and Stanford is the No. 13 three-point shooting team in the nation. The Cardinal rank No. 29 in effective field goal percentage and are top-75 in 2-point and free-throw shooting.
Stanford might struggle to protect the rock (No. 246 in turnover percentage), but Utah’s defense is one of the worst in the nation (No. 327) at forcing takeaways. Both offenses should be efficient in Thursday’s matchup.
Go over the big total.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.