Baylor Bears vs Utah Runnin’ Utes Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Baylor vs Utah NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Salt Lake City.

Baylor vs Utah Prediction

Betting on today's Bears and Runnin' Utes game? Catch the action at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT, as the Runnin' Utes hosts this showdown at 4:30 ET on ESPN2. Baylor is favored by -2.5 in this Big 12 conference contest against Utah. The game's over/under currently sits at 144.5 points.

Baylor vs. Utah Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Baylor Bears at Utah Runnin' Utes
Where: Salt Lake City at Jon M. Huntsman Center
Date: Saturday, January 25th
Betting Odds BAYL -2.5, BAYL -141 | UTAH +116 O/U 144.5

Bears Preview: Can the Bears Live Up to the Hype on the Road?

Baylor Bears Recent Game/Games

Baylor improved to 11-6 on the season with a 70-62 win over Kansas State on Wednesday. Despite being -11.5 favorites, the Bears didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 132 fell short of the 140.5 O/U line.

Trailing 30-26 at halftime, Baylor turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring the Wildcats 44-32 to secure the win.

Bears Offense Breakdown

In their last game, Baylor's offense put up 70 points, shooting 37.5% from the field. They connected on 11 of 29 three-point attempts, hitting 37.9% from deep, while their overall effective field goal percentage was 46.4%. The Bears were strong at the free-throw line, making 17 of 21 attempts for an 81% success rate.

VJ Edgecombe led the way with 30 points, shooting 61.5% from the floor and 42.9% from three. Jalen Celestine added 18 points, hitting 4 of 7 from beyond the arc, and David N'Guessan contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds. Baylor also grabbed 13 offensive boards and dished out 14 assists in the game.

Bears Team Defense

Despite Baylor's defensive efforts, they couldn't overcome their opponent, who scored 62 points. Baylor held them to 37% shooting from the field, with their opponent hitting 21 of 56 shots.

From beyond the arc, Baylor's opponent shot 37%, making 11 of 29 three-point attempts. They also went to the free-throw line 21 times, converting 17 of those for 81%.

Runnin' Utes Preview: Is a Home Win Possible for Utah?

Utah Runnin' Utes Recent Game/Games

The Runnin' Utes fell to 12-7 on the season after a 70-36 loss to Houston on Wednesday. Utah, who entered the game as +17.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread.

Utah trailed 41-17 at halftime and managed just 19 points in the 2nd half while allowing 29. The total points for the game were 106, well below the O/U line of 133.5.

Runnin' Utes Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the Utah Runnin' Utes managed just 36 points, shooting 30.2% from the field and 29.4% from beyond the arc. Their effective field goal percentage was 37.2%, and they struggled at the free-throw line, hitting only 41.7% of their attempts.

Offensively, Milos Uzan led the way with 14 points and 5 assists, shooting 66.7% overall and 50% from three. L.J. Cryer added 13 points, connecting on 75% of his threes, and J'Wan Roberts contributed 11 points and 4 rebounds.

Runnin' Utes Team Defense

Utah's defense gave up 70 points, with the opposing team shooting 43% from the field. They allowed 21 two-point field goals on 42 attempts, a 50% shooting rate.

From beyond the arc, Utah held their opponent to 5 made threes on 18 attempts, a 27% shooting performance. The opposing team also went 13/19 from the free-throw line, converting 68% of their attempts. Utah gave up 15 offensive rebounds.

Bears vs Runnin' Utes Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across their five previous road games, Baylor has an ATS mark of 0-5. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-4 while averaging 66 points per game.
Across the Runnin' Utes last three home games, the team averaged 56 points per game while allowing 72. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Utah has an ATS mark of 3-7 while going 2-8 straight up.
Although the Bears have a strong straight up record in their last three games as the betting favorite, they have not done as well vs the spread going 0-3.