Utah vs. Oklahoma State prediction, pick, college basketball odds

01/31/2025 05:20 PM

Utah has been a team that has talent but come up short in too many winnable games, while Oklahoma State is one of the worst teams in the Big 12. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Utah-Oklahoma State prediction and pick.

Utah is 12-8 this season, with notable conference wins against TCU, BYU, and Cincinnati. However, the story of their season is their losses to Mississippi State, Saint Mary’s, Baylor twice, Iowa, Iowa State, Texas Tech, and Houston. The key for the Utes is their do-it-all guard, Gabe Madsen, and he should have some success against Oklahoma State. Utah has an opportunity to make a much-needed statement against Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma State is 10-10 this season, with notable wins against Miami, Seton Hall, Kansas State, and Colorado. However, they have also suffered notable losses against Oklahoma, Houston, West Virginia, Utah, BYU, Arizona, and Texas Tech. Marchelus Avery is the player the Cowboys consistently need to step up against the Utes. This is a great opportunity for the Cowboys to get out of the Big 12’s basement.

Here are the Utah-Oklahoma State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel 

College Basketball Odds: Utah-Oklahoma State Odds

Utah: +1.5 (-120)

Moneyline: -110

Oklahoma State: -1.5 (-102)

Moneyline: -110

Over: 150.5 (-110)

Under: 150.5 (-110)

How to Watch Utah vs. Oklahoma State

Time: 3:00 pm ET/noon PT

TV: ESPN+

*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*

Why Utah Will Cover The Spread/Win

Utah’s offense has had a bumpy road this season. They score 76.5 points per game, have a field goal percentage of 46.2%, and have a three-point percentage of 33.9%. Only two Utes are scoring over double digits, and Gabe Madsen is the most consistent player on this offense.

Madsen leads the scoring charts with 15 points per game and is tied for second in assists with 2.8 per game. Ball movement has been essential to this offense, which ranks eighth in total assists, averaging 18.8 per game. Miro Little is the leader in assists, averaging 3.9 per game.

The Utes can at least be a more efficient offense, but it has been very inconsistent in getting there. Still, Utah has more talent than Oklahoma State, and on offense, that should win out against the Cowboys’ defense.

Utah’s defense has been below average but better than the offense overall. They allow 70.1 points per game, 40.1% from the field, and 32.2% from behind the arc. On KenPom, the Utes are the 72nd-ranked adjusted defensive rating with a 101.1 rating.

This frontcourt has been underwhelming on the glass. Only one player averages at least five rebounds per game, and Keanu Dawes leads the team in rebounding with 5.4 per game. Lawson Lovering is then the leader in blocks with 1.1 per game. Regarding on-ball defense, four different Utes are tied for the team lead in steals with 0.9 per game.

The Utes’ defense is a unit that can travel and shut down Oklahoma State on the road, given how inept the Cowboys have been on offense.

Why Oklahoma State Will Cover The Spread/Win

Oklahoma State has had a rough year on offense. They score 72.4 points per game, have a field goal percentage of 42.3%, and a three-point percentage of 32.6%. This is also the 187th-ranked adjusted offense on KenPom, with a 106.1 rating. Three Cowboys are averaging over double digits this season, with Marchelus Avery emerging as the most consistent scorer on the roster with 12.5 points per game.

The biggest issue with this offense is that they can’t move the ball well. They only average 12.4 assists per game, and the leader in assists on the team is Arturo Dean, who averages 2.7 per game. This is a bad matchup against a Utah defense that has been steady all season, even with the game in Stillwater. The Utes have the matchup advantage on this side of the court.

Oklahoma State’s defense has been unimpressive this season. They allow 74.9 points per game, 47.6% from the field, and 36.1% from behind the arc. They are also the 98th-ranked defensive rating on KenPom at 102.8. The frontcourt has also been unimpressive all year.

Abou Ousmane leads the team in rebounding with 5.9 points per game and blocks with 0.8 per game. However, when it comes to on-ball defense, they are slightly better. Five players average at least one steal, and Arturo Dean is the leader with 1.9 per game. This defense is not facing a world-beater of an offense from the Utes, but Utah is more trustworthy, and they should score all over this defense.

Final Utah-Oklahoma State Prediction & Pick

Utah is the better team in this game. The Utes have had a string of losses in the Big 12 where they could have easily won and have just had bad luck. This is the perfect matchup for the Utes to get right against. Utah wins thanks to Gabe Madsen, who easily covers the road in Stillwater.

Final Utah-Oklahoma State Prediction & Pick: Utah +1.5 (-120)

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