Houston Cougars vs Utah Runnin’ Utes Matchup

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

Utah vs Houston Prediction

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+. This Big 12 conference matchup has an over/under of 133.5 points, and Houston is favored to win by -17.5 at home vs. Utah.

Utah vs. Houston Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Utah Runnin' Utes at Houston Cougars
Where: Houston at Fertitta Center
Date: Wednesday, January 22nd
Betting Odds HOU -17.5, UTAH +1316 | HOU -4200 O/U 133.5

Runnin' Utes Preview: Can Utah Pull Off a Road Win?

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 underdogs, not only pulled off the win but also covered the spread. The game’s total points fell short of the 151.5 O/U line, finishing at 145.

Utah trailed 30-27 at halftime but outscored BYU 37-34 in the second half to secure the win. The Utes’ defense played a key role in the comeback, allowing just enough points to edge out the Cougars.

Runnin' Utes Offense Breakdown

Utah's offense put up 73 points in their last game, shooting 44.6% from the field. They connected on just 26.1% of their threes (6/23), but hit 57.6% of their two-point attempts (19/33). Their effective field goal percentage was 50%, and they struggled at the free-throw line, making only 53.1% of their attempts (17/32).

Ezra Ausar led the way with 26 points, shooting 73.3% from the floor (11/15). Richie Saunders and Fousseyni Traore each added 16 points, with Traore hitting 61.5% of his shots (8/13). Saunders went 2/6 from three, while Lawson Lovering contributed 13 points and 7 rebounds.

Runnin' Utes Team Defense

Utah's defense gave up 72 points, with the opposing team shooting 44% from the field. They allowed 19 two-point baskets on 33 attempts, a 57% success rate.

From beyond the arc, Utah held their opponent to 6 made threes on 23 attempts, a 26% shooting performance. The opposing team also went 17/32 from the free-throw line, hitting 53% of their foul shots. Utah allowed 9 offensive rebounds.

Cougars Preview: Will the Cougars Secure A Victory as Home Favorites?

Houston Cougars Recent Game/Games

The Cougars improved to 14-3 on the season with a narrow 69-68 win over UCF on Saturday. Despite being -13.5 favorites, Houston didn’t cover the spread in this one. The total points for the game were 137, just under the O/U line of 138.5.

Houston trailed 38-30 at halftime but turned things around in the second half, outscoring UCF 39-30 to secure the win. The Cougars’ defense stepped up after the break, allowing them to pull off the comeback.

Cougars Offense Breakdown

In their last game, the Cougars managed to put up 69 points, shooting 42% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 43.5%, largely due to their struggles from beyond the arc, hitting just 3 of 16 attempts for 18.8%.

J'Wan Roberts led the way with 21 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 58.8% from the floor. Moustapha Thiam added 18 points, connecting on 7 of 10 shots, including 1 of 2 from three-point range.

Cougars Team Defense

Houston's defense gave up 68 points, with their opponent shooting 40% from the field on 25 of 62 attempts. Inside the arc, they allowed 18 of 39 shots to fall, a 46% success rate.

From three-point range, Houston's defense held their opponent to 7 of 23 shooting, or 30%. They also sent them to the line 17 times, where they converted 11 free throws for 64%. Houston gave up 16 offensive rebounds.

Runnin' Utes vs Cougars Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Across the Runnin' Utes last five road games, the team averaged 69 points per game while allowing 80. Their record vs the spread in these contests was 2-3, while going 1-4 straight-up.
When looking at their past three matchups at home, Houston has an ATS record of 2-1 while averaging 72 per game. The team went 3-0 overall in these games.
Going back to their last ten games as the underdog, the Runnin' Utes have a straight up record of 2-8. But, their mark vs the spread was just 4-6.
In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Cougars have a straight up record of 3-0, while going 1-1-1 against the spread.