The No. 11 Utah Utes are loving February as they’ve started the month with back-to-back blowout wins on the road. After a lengthy road trip, the Utes now return home, where they’ve been quite formidable in Pac-12 play. However, an equally formidable test awaits in the form of the Stanford Cardinal and their senior-laded squad.
Is an upset on the cards as the Utes and Cardinal collide? Find out as we break down this fascinating Pac-12 showdown. And for more college hoops action, check out our preview of the North Carolina State vs. Virginia.
The Stanford Cardinal (16-7, 7-4 Pac-12) snapped their first losing skid of the season with a 70-62 win over last place USC at home. The Cardinal shot just 37 percent from the field and 26 percent from beyond the arc, but all five starters scored in double figures to get the big win.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]However, Stanford didn’t come close to covering the 15-point spread against USC and have failed to cover in their last three games. They’re 5-6-1 against the spread in conference play.
Leading scorer Chasson Randle (20.3 points per game, No. 13 in the nation) has been in a shooting slump of late. He’s gone just 8-of-25 from the field (32 percent) and 2-of-15 on threes in his last two games. But he’s had the habit of showing up for the big games this season. In four games against ranked teams (Duke, Texas, Washington and Arizona), the senior averaged 23.5 points per game.
A couple of senior guards in UCLA’s Norman Powell (23 points) and TJ McConnell (16 points) were instrumental in handing Utah its two conference losses, and Randle is capable of putting up similarly big numbers.
But if Randle continues to slump, fellow seniors Anthony Brown (16 points and seven rebounds) and Stefan Nastic (13 points and seven rebounds) should be ready to pick up the slack. Brown has also had some big games against ranked opponents. He’s averaged 20 points in his last three. Meanwhile, Nastic will be crucial in putting a body on Utah’s talented seven-footer Jakob Poeltl to keep him off the glass.
Betting on the Utah Utes
The Utah Utes (18-4, 8-2 Pac-12) finally return home after winning the last two games of their three-game road trip. The Utes absolutely demolished USC by 28 in Los Angeles before delivering another 28-point blowout against Colorado.
When Utah has it going, it’s pretty hard to stop. The Utes have won their eight conference games by an average of 24.6 points. No team has even come within 20 points of the Utes at home, where they are a perfect 5-0 against the spread in conference play.
Utah didn’t even need leading scorer Delon Wright (14.2 points per game) to score in double-figures in those blowout wins. Wright has averaged just over six points on 32 percent shooting in Utah’s last three wins.
In the meantime, the supporting cast has been allowed to shine with Jakob Poeltl (14 points and nine rebounds vs. USC) and Brandon Taylor (18 points on six three-pointers vs. Colorado) the main beneficiaries. Wright will likely be back in scoring mode against Stanford, but don’t discount Poeltl and/or Taylor stepping up offensively after their breakout games.
Utah might not need to score too many points if it continues to play shutdown defense. The Utes, who are No. 6 in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 9 in points allowed (56.0), have held their last two opponents to sub-30 percent shooting and a combined 2-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Utah’s ability to take away the three (first in the Pac-12 in made three-pointers allowed and second in three-point percentage allowed) could be vital against a Stanford team that’s second in the conference in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage.
Writer’s Prediction
Utah continues its dominance at home with a complete performance against Stanford. Take the Utes to win and cover. Create a betting account now and get the complete college hoops experience all the way through to March Madness.
