Time:<\/strong> 9:00 PM ET \/ 6:00 PM PT
Broadcast:<\/strong> ESPN+
Location:<\/strong> McKale Memorial Center, Tucson, AZ
Spread:<\/strong> Arizona -15.5 | Total: 152.5<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utah vs Arizona Betting Preview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
In a move that caught a lot of people off-guard, Utah elected to fire head coach Craig Smith after the Utes lost at UCF on Sunday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utah made the NIT semifinals last year and had the potential to finish at or above .500 in the loaded Big 12 this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Utes’ biggest issue over the last two seasons was at the free throw line. Utah was bottom-15 in the country in free throw shooting last year, and they are even worse this year. Utah is shooting a jaw-dropping 61.9-percent from the free throw line in Big 12 play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Starting forwards Ezra Ausar and Lawson Lovering are shooting a combined 52-percent from the free throw line on 244 attempts this season. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Per college basketball analyst Jon Fender, the Utes would be a fringe top-40 team in the country if you simply removed foul shots from their games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The move to fire Coach Smith with four games remaining is a puzzling one, especially since two of those games are very win-able (projected to be home favorites against Arizona State and West Virginia) and the season finale against your hated rival (BYU). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is Utah’s administration expecting some kind of inspired effort out of its players over these last two weeks with Smith out of the picture? If you don’t have things buttoned-up, Arizona is the type of team that will run you out of the gym.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utah vs Arizona Predictions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Wildcats have won-and-covered each of the last three meetings in this showdown. Utah has lost its last four trips to Tucson by 16, 18, 26 and 19 points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arizona has been at home for over a week, with the Wildcats’ last game played on Saturday. Utah played at UCF on Sunday, and now has to travel across two time zones with one fewer day of rest (without a head coach). <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utah may surprise us and come out with an inspired effort, but based on the series history between these teams and the intangibles that are all pointing in Arizona’s favor, we will gladly back the Wildcats at this price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Utah vs Arizona Prediction: Arizona -15.5<\/h3>\n\n\n\nGoldSheet Top Picks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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