The BYU Cougars (8-2) will try to lengthen their five-game winning streak against the Utah Runnin’ Utes (7-2) at Marriott Center. The game starts at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 16, 2017, and will air on ESPN2.
The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 147.5 points with BYU opening as a 4-point favorite.
Utah Runnin’ Utes at BYU Cougars ATS Prediction
In the Runnin’ Utes’ last game, they defeated the Utah State Aggies, 77-67. Making free throws was one of Utah’s biggest strengths. They were 19-22 (86.4 percent), while the Aggies were 15-19 (78.9 percent). Utah was led by Justin Bibbins, who finished with 16 points and seven assists.
The Cougars were victorious over the Weber State Wildcats in their last outing, 74-68. BYU’s 0.298 free throw rate was their biggest strength over Weber State, who had a mark of 0.185. The Cougars’ mark was below their season average of 0.320. TJ Haws was BYU’s leading scorer with 24 points on 7-for-12 shooting.
Second-chance opportunities could be few and far between for BYU in this battle. The Cougars rank 265th in offensive rebounding percentage (28.6 percent), while Utah ranks 45th in defensive rebounding percentage (75.9 percent) since last season.
Utah heads into the contest with records of 7-2 straight up (SU) and 5-2 against the spread (ATS). Of the Runnin’ Utes’ seven games with betting action, three have finished under, three have finished over and one has pushed.
BYU has an excellent 8-2 SU record, but they struggle covering the spread (3-5 ATS). Cougars games tend to go under the total (62.5 percent).
Yoeli Childs has averaged 19.6 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over the last five games for BYU.
Utah Runnin’ Utes at BYU Cougars Odds Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – BYU, ATS Winner – BYU, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes (2016-Present):
Utah ranks eighth in assists allowed per game (11.1) while BYU ranks 79th (13.8).
The Cougars rank 30th in rebounds allowed per game (35.1) while the Runnin’ Utes rank 100th (31.8).
Utah ranks 38th in blocks allowed per game (3.1) while BYU ranks 71st (3.0).
