The Pac-12’s top two teams will clash when the No. 13 Utah Runnin’ Utes (23-7) welcome the Colorado Buffaloes (21-9) to Jon M. Huntsman Center. Action gets underway at 9:30 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5 and can be seen on ESU and ES3.
The Runnin’ Utes defeated Arizona 70-64 in their last matchup. Brandon Taylor was the team’s high scorer with 19 points on 7-for-9 shooting. The Buffaloes are coming off a 79-69 win against Arizona State in their last game. Josh Fortune led the game in scoring with 17 points on 6-for-8 shooting.
Over the last five games, Jakob Poeltl has taken his game to another level for the Runnin’ Utes. During that stretch, he has averaged 18.0 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals, and 1.8 blocks.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a matchup of two heavyweights. The sweet-shooting offense of Utah is ranked 11th in the nation in that metric at 56.3%, while Colorado is 29th-best in the nation at making opponents miss (47.6%). Moreover, the Buffaloes are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking ninth in OR% at 35.8%. But the Runnin’ Utes rank 22nd at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 72.7%.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Runnin’ Utes winning the first matchup 56-54. Lorenzo Bonam was a standout player in the game, producing 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals, and one three-pointer.
The Runnin’ Utes come into this game 23-7 Straight Up (SU) and 15-13-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Runnin’ Utes have one of the most prolific offenses in the entire nation, averaging 78.8 points per game. Utah is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.32. The Runnin’ Utes have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 24th in the country with a .412 opponent field-goal percentage.
On the other side, the Buffaloes have records of 16-11 ATS and 21-9 SU. Colorado performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 7-3 record.
Following the Runnin’ Utes’ latest win over Colorado, the two teams’ head-to-head record is now an even 5-5 SU in their most recent games. The Runnin’ Utes lead the matchup ATS with a record of 8-2. Utah held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers twice in the last five games, while Colorado wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Colo, ATS Winner – Colo
Notes
Utah averages 78.8 points per game (ranked 43rd). Colorado, on the other hand, allows 71.3 points per game (ranked 137th).
Utah is one of the top-scoring teams at home, averaging 84.4 points per game (ranked 21st). Colorado, on the other hand, allows 74.5 points per away game (ranked 142nd).
The Utah Runnin’ Utes have a defensive rating of 100.2 (ranked 37th), while the Colorado Buffaloes have an offensive rating of 108.6 (ranked 110th).
Utah is ranked seventh in the country with an average field goal percentage of 49.5%. Colorado is an even 2-2 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes rank higher based on their field goal percentage (seventh) than their effective field goal percentage (11th). The Colorado Buffaloes rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (206th) than their field goal percentage (221st).
Utah ranks 32nd in assists, registering 16.1 per game. Colorado performs worse at 130th with 14.0 assists per game.
Utah ranks 73rd in blocks per game with 4.3 and Colorado ranks 34th with 4.9 blocks per game.
Utah ranks 247th in offensive rebounds, while Colorado ranks 11th in defensive rebounds.
The Utah Runnin’ Utes make an average of 5.5 steals per game. When the Colorado Buffaloes allow 5 or more steals, they are a winning 17-7.
