UCF vs Utah prediction, odds, pick for Big 12 Tournament
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It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a UCF-Utah prediction and pick. Find out how to watch UCF-Utah.
As UCF and Utah prepare to meet in the Big 12 Tournament, it is a fact that one of these programs has decided to make a coaching change for next season. The next question is if the other program will follow suit. Utah has made an attempt to start over by hiring former Ute player and former NBA assistant Alex Jensen. Utah hired a man who was part of the Rick Majerus glory days and the run to the 1998 national championship game. Jensen was a dependable role player on a team with Andre Miller, Michael Doleac, and Hanno Mottola. He built a solid coaching career for himself but had not yet taken a big head coaching job. Utah is his big chance to prove himself. There is something poetic about the fact that Jensen is trying to catapult his career to new heights at the university where he played college ball and had much success. It is hard to ignore the reality that after BYU made a successful hire (Kevin Young) by going to the NBA, Utah has done the same. Utah is banking on Jensen to provide the same player development Young has delivered to the Utes’ archrival.
As for UCF, everyone is wondering if Johnny Dawkins will continue to coach the Knights beyond this season. There is reason for skepticism. Dawkins has been on the job for nearly a decade with just one NCAA Tournament appearance. The school could try to follow Utah’s lead and go for a reset. It will be interesting to see what the school does.
Here are the UCF-Utah College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
Big 12 Tournament Odds: UCF-Utah Odds
UCF: +1.5 (-118)
Moneyline: -110
Utah: -1.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -110
Over: 155.5 (-110)
Under: 155.5 (-110)
How to Watch UCF vs Utah
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT
TV: ESPN Plus
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why UCF Will Cover The Spread/Win
UCF played Utah very recently, fell behind by 11 points early in the game, but came back to win. Being able to not only beat Utah, but do so after encountering early-game adversity, should give UCF extra confidence heading into this matchup. UCF took Utah’s best punch in the first several minutes of the game and calmly responded the right way. That is hard to ignore (and it shouldn’t be ignored) from a betting standpoint.
One also has to remember that UCF won decisively at Texas Tech early in the season. Texas Tech is the No. 2 seed at this Big 12 Tournament. The Red Raiders are a really, really good team. UCF crushed them on the road. That’s a reminder that UCF looked like an NCAA Tournament team earlier this season. The Knights have not been consistent, which is and has been the source of their downfall this season, but when this team plays well, it is very formidable. If that UCF team shows up here, a mediocre Utah team will be blown out of the water.
Why Utah Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah has been better over the past month — not dominant, not elite, but better than in January, when this team looked consistently awful. The Utes have made improvements, and they are more optimistic about the future now that their coaching change has been made. Utah lost to UCF on the road in Orlando. This game at a neutral site in Texas should have a friendlier environment in which UCF might struggle. UCF needed home-court advantage to beat Utah, and now the Knights won’t have that.
Final UCF-Utah Prediction & Pick
Our lean is to Utah, but these are two mediocre teams. Why risk money on a coin flip? Pass.
Final UCF-Utah Prediction & Pick: Utah -1.5
The post UCF vs Utah prediction, odds, pick for Big 12 Tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.
