The Utah Runnin’ Utes (17-6) visit Oregon to take on the No. 16-ranked Ducks (19-4) in a matchup that pits the Pac-12’s third-ranked offense against the sixth-ranked defense. Action gets underway at 4:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 7 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Ducks won big over Colorado 76-56 on Thursday. Elgin Cook was the game’s high scorer with 18 points on 7-for-16 shooting. The Runnin’ Utes, meanwhile, are coming off a close 71-69 loss to Oregon State on Thursday. Jakob Poeltl had a team-high 20 points.
Chris Boucher has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Ducks. During that stretch, he has averaged 15.4 points, 9.2 rebounds, 0.6 steals, 3.8 blocks, and 1.4 three-pointers.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Ducks winning the first matchup 77-59. Dillon Brooks had a stellar game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and one steal.
The Ducks are hoping to build on their records of 19-4 Straight Up (SU) and 12-7-1 Against The Spread (ATS). Oregon has been struggling of late. In the last 10 games, Oregon has only averaged 71.0 points per game compared to the 78.2 they’ve averaged on the season. Oregon’s defenders rank 45th in Division I in steals with 7.7 per game.
On the other side, Utah has a SU record of 17-6 and an ATS record of 10-11-1. Most recently, Utah is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games.
Oregon beat Utah in their most recent meeting this season, bringing its SU record to 8-2 over Utah in their most recent games. Furthermore, Oregon holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Oregon, ATS Winner – Oregon
Notes
Oregon averages 78.2 points per game (ranked 62nd). Utah, on the other hand, allows 69.6 points per game (ranked 113th).
Oregon averages 80.2 points per home game (ranked 82nd). Utah allows 68.6 points per away game (ranked 40th).
Oregon won its last game by a 20-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Utah is 6-2. Oregon is 8-0 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 46th, the Oregon Ducks have an offensive rating of 112.8. The Utah Runnin’ Utes rank 134th with a defensive rating of just 101.2.
The Oregon Ducks average 69.3 possessions per game and 1.128 points per possession, while the Utah Runnin’ Utes earn fewer possessions (68.7) but more points per possession (1.147).
The Utah Runnin’ Utes have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 22nd in the country with an eFG% of 55.1%. The Oregon Ducks have a winning 2-1 record in games where opponents have a similar or higher eFG%.
The Oregon Ducks average 19.0 three point attempts per game, and the Utah Runnin’ Utes attempt 20.0 per game. When going for at least 20 three pointers in a game this season, both teams have winning records; Oregon is 10-4 and Utah is 11-2.
Utah ranks 75th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.22. Oregon is ranked lower at 116th with an A/TO of 1.16.
Utah, the 71st-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.7 rebounds per game. Oregon does worse, ranked 166th with 36.6.
The Oregon Ducks make an average of 7.7 steals per game. When the Utah Runnin’ Utes allow 7 or more steals, they are an outstanding 9-3.
