The No.3-seeded Utah Runnin’ Utes (26-8) face off against the No.14-seeded Fresno State Bulldogs (25-9) in the first round of the NCAA tournament at the Pepsi Center. The game starts at 7:27 pm ET on Thursday, Mar. 17 and can be seen on TRU.
The Runnin’ Utes are hoping for a better outcome after their 88-57 loss to Oregon in the 4 of the Pac-12 tournament. Jakob Poeltl finished with 13 points to lead the team. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 68-63 win over San Diego State in the 4 of the Mountain West tournament. Paul Watson played well, recording eight points, five rebounds, and one steal.
The Runnin’ Utes come into this game 26-8 Straight Up (SU) and 17-15-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their last 10 games, they have had success covering the spread (8-2). The Runnin’ Utes have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 26th in the country with a .413 opponent field-goal percentage. Utah will look to take advantage of the Bulldogs and their propensity to foul. Fresno State ranks 326th in the nation in fouls, averaging 21.9 per game.
Across the court, the Bulldogs have a record of 18-13 ATS and 25-9 SU. Most recently, Fresno State is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. The Bulldogs have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .330.
Utah beat Fresno State in their most recent meeting this season, moving its SU record against the Bulldogs to 2-1. The Runnin’ Utes also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 2-1.
Predictions: SU Winner – Fres, ATS Winner – Fres
Notes
“Utah is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Fresno State”.
“Utah is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Fresno State”.
“Utah is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games “.
“Utah is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games “.
Utah lost its last game by a 31-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Fresno State is 4-0. Utah is 8-3 in blowouts this season.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes have a defensive rating of 101.2 (ranked 48th), while the Fresno State Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 107.5 (ranked 137th).
The Utah Runnin’ Utes have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the nation with a FG% of 48.9%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Fresno State Bulldogs have a subpar 1-5 record.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes average 20.0 three point attempts per game, and the Fresno State Bulldogs attempt 18.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Utah is 18-2 and Fresno State is 12-2.
Utah ranks 58th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.27, while Fresno State ranks 65th with an A/TO of 1.26.
Fresno State, the 98th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 37.6 rebounds per game. Utah does worse, ranked 108th with 37.4.
The Fresno State Bulldogs rank 16th in steals this season, with an average of 8.2 per game. When the Utah Runnin’ Utes give up at least 8 steals, they have a winning 7-3 record.
