The Utah Runnin’ Utes (4-3) take on the BYU Cougars (6-4) at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The game starts at 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 8, 2018, and will air on ESPNU.
BYU Cougars vs. Utah Runnin’ Utes Betting Prediction
In the Cougars’ last outing, they were topped by the No. 7 Nevada Wolf Pack, 86-70. One of Nevada’s largest advantages was getting to the charity stripe. They made 39 trips to the line, while BYU went just 19 times. Yoeli Childs played well for BYU, contributing 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Runnin’ Utes were victorious over the Maine Black Bears in their last game, 75-61. The Runnin’ Utes had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (32.3 vs. 13.5) and had a better free throw rate (0.236 vs. 0.145). Sedrick Barefield was Utah’s leading scorer with 18 points on 5-for-14 shooting from the field.
This showdown pits one of the nation’s top offenses against one of its elite defensesSince the 2017-18 season, Utah ranks 57th in effective field goal percentage (0.545), while BYU is 48th in effective field goal percentage allowed (0.503). This game should be a showdown of opposite tempos. The up-and-down Cougars rank 11th in possessions per game, while the more methodical Runnin’ Utes rank 327th.
Childs has averaged 0 points over the last five games for BYU.
The Cougars won the only game against the Runnin’ Utes last season, 77-65. The Cougars made 13 of their 17 free throws (76.5 percent) and had a much better effective field goal percentage (0.615 vs. 0.509).
BYU Cougars vs. Utah Runnin’ Utes Odds Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – Utah, O/U – Under
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Notes
Betting Notes (2017-Present):
Utah ranks 69th in three pointers attempted per game (24.8) while BYU ranks 195th in three pointers allowed per game (21.7).
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