Utah Runnin’ Utes vs Houston Cougars NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 1/22/25
Planning on watching today’s Runnin’ Utes and Cougars game? Catch the action at Fertitta Center in Houston, TX, as the Cougars hosts this showdown at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under for this game is set at 133.5 points, and Houston is favored by -17.5 vs. Utah in a Big 12 conference matchup.
UTAH RUNNIN’ UTES VS HOUSTON COUGARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Utah Runnin’ Utes +17.5
This game will be played at Fertitta Center at 6:00 ET on Wednesday, January 22nd.
WHY BET THE UTAH RUNNIN’ UTES:
- We have this one finishing with a projected score of 79-67 in favor of the Cougars.
- Even though we have Houston winning straight-up, we like Utah at +17.5.
- The over/under is currently sitting at 133.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 146 points.
Does Utah Stand a Chance on the Road?
Utah Runnin’ Utes Recent Game/Games
Utah improved to 11-6 on the season with a narrow 73-72 win over BYU on Saturday. The Utes, who were +1 point underdogs, not only picked up the win but also covered the spread. The game’s total points of 145 fell short of the 151.5 O/U line.
After trailing 30-27 at halftime, Utah turned things around in the second half, outscoring BYU 37-34 to secure the win.
In their latest game, the Utah Runnin’ Utes put up 73 points, shooting 44.6% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, with a strong performance inside, hitting 57.6% of their two-point attempts. However, they struggled from beyond the arc, making just 6 of 23 threes for a 26.1% rate.
At the free-throw line, Utah connected on only 53.1% of their 32 attempts. Ezra Ausar led the way with 26 points, shooting 73.3% from the field. Richie Saunders and Fousseyni Traore each added 16 points, with Traore hitting 61.5% of his shots.
Despite giving up 72 points, Utah’s defense managed to limit their opponent’s three-point shooting, holding them to just 6 made threes on 23 attempts, a 26% success rate. However, they struggled to contain two-point shots, with their opponent converting 57% of their attempts, going 19/33 from inside the arc.
Utah sent their opponent to the free-throw line 32 times, but they only managed to hit 17 of those, shooting 53% from the stripe. The Runnin’ Utes also gave up 9 offensive rebounds in the game.
Can Houston Secure a Home Victory?
Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games
Houston improved to 14-3 this season with a narrow 69-68 win over UCF on Saturday. The Cougars, who were -13.5 favorites, didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 137, just under the O/U line of 138.5.
After trailing 38-30 at halftime, Houston turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring UCF 39-30 to secure the win.
In their last game, the Cougars managed 69 points, shooting 42% from the field and 18.8% from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 16 three-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.5%, and they connected on 72.7% of their free throws, going 8 for 11 from the line.
J’Wan Roberts led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 58.8% from the floor. Moustapha Thiam added 18 points, hitting 7 of 10 shots, including 1 of 2 from three-point range. Ja’Vier Francis contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds, making 5 of 6 shots.
Houston’s defense gave up 68 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 40% from the field, hitting 25 of their 62 attempts. Inside the arc, they shot 46%, making 18 of 39 two-point attempts.
From three-point range, the opposition went 7 for 23, shooting 30%. They also went to the free-throw line 17 times, converting 11 for a 64% success rate. Houston allowed 16 offensive rebounds in the game.