Utah State vs. Air Force Prediction and Odds for Tuesday, Jan. 2 (Take home underdog Falcons?)
By Reed Wallach
Air Force and Utah State meet in Mountain West play with a Tuesday afternoon meeting in Colorado Springs.
The Falcons, one of the slowest teams in the country in terms of tempo, will look to keep down the high-octane Utah State offense on its home court. Oddsmakers have installed the Aggies as a considerable road chalk, can it take care of business after a 12-1 start to the season?
Here's our best bet for Tuesday's meeting:
New Caesars Sportsbook users can get a no-sweat first bet up to $1,000 when they sign up with the link below!
Utah State vs. Air Force Odds, Spread and Total
Air Force vs. Utah State Betting Trends
- Air Force is 4-8 against the spread (ATS) this season
- Utah State is 5-5-1 ATS this season
- Air Force has gone OVER in two of three games as an underdog
Utah State vs. Air Force How to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, January 2nd
- Game Time: 4:00 PM EST
- Venue: Clune Arena
- How to Watch (TV): Mountain West Network
- Colorado State Record: 12-1
- Air Force Record: 7-5
Utah State vs. Air Force Key Players to Watch
Utah State
Great Osobor: The English big man has been dominant on the block this season, averaging north of 17 points and nine rebounds per game while blocking more than two shots. The Aggies' offense flows through him on the post but will face a stiff Air Force interior defense that is holding foes to 46% two-point percentage, good for 68th in the country.
Air Force
Ethan Taylor: The 6'5" junior guard has been doing it all for the Falcons this season, averaging nearly 18 points per game while grabbing nearly five rebounds and dishing out four assists per game while shooting more than 38% this season. Utah State has been a strong perimeter defense, but can Taylor take control at home and dictate this game?
Utah State vs. Air Force Prediction and Pick
Utah State's offense has been humming along all season long, dominating opponents on the interior with Osobor anchoring a unit that is 15th in the country in two-point percentage. The team's proficiency from in close offsets the Aggies' inability to shoot from three, a ghastly 29%.
However, Air Force does a good job defending inside. The team allows a top-third frequency of shots at the rim and is 16th in mid-range field goal percentage allowed. The Falcons' defense is rock solid, 53rd in turnover percentage, and should do a good job of limiting Utah State's offense that revolves around the interior dominance of Osobor.
On offense, Air Force will look to slow this game down to a crawl. The team is bottom 15 in the country in terms of average possession length, bleeding the shot clock as it hunts for a good look from beyond the arc. The team is 26th in three-point rate and shooting 36%, the 71st-best mark in the country.
Utah State has been shutting down the perimeter for foes, holding opponents to the 23rd lowest 3P% this season, but ShotQuality deems that the Aggies are owed a 4% increase in opponent's three-point percentage this season.
Utah State's offense may continue to thrive, but I believe that the lack of possessions and Air Force's strong three-point shooting make for a great spot to back the home underdog.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
Track Reed's bets here!