No.18 BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Predictions, Odds, Pick

• The BYU Cougars are ranked 18th in the nation but are coming off a first-round loss to UCLA in March Madness. 
• The Utah Utes are unranked and coming off a disappointing losing season. They went 12-14 and did not make March Madness. 

 BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Odds

BYU Cougars vs Utah Utes Pick

BYU beats Utah 75-66

Why Might the BYU Cougars Win?

BYU has not faced any currently ranked teams yet, but they have crushed their last three opponents by 27, 36, and 32 points. The 32-point blowout victory came against the then #12 Oregon Ducks. BYU does not shoot the ball well but takes a lot of shots and scores a lot of points. They are averaging almost 80 points a game. The BYU defense has been quite dominant and will need to continue to be if they want to limit Utah’s high-powered offense.

Guard Alex Barcello has proven to be vital to this BYU team. He is leading BYU in scoring and steals per game. He has hit over half of his three-point attempts and is a natural scorer. He has scored at least 12 points in all five games this season.

BYU has eight players that are scoring threats. They have a deep roster that will cause problems for Utah.

Why Might the Utah Utes Win?

Utah has an uphill battle in this game. They have the advantage of playing at home, but that is about it. The Utes will need to harness the home crowd energy and use that as momentum.

Even though Utah is unranked, they are a solid team, and they have not lost a game yet. They are a better shooting team than BYU, but their roster lacks depth.

If Utah has their starting five a well as sixth man Both Gach score effectively, they might be able to outscore BYU. That is very difficult because BYU has a dominant defense, but if they figure out how to get a lot of open shots, they should win the game.

Utah will also need their bench to play a larger role than they normally do. If they have a couple additional bench players that are scoring, they will be able to match BYU’s depth.

Cougars Key Player: Alex Barcello

Alex Barcello is a threat on both sides of the floor. He is BYU’s leading scoring averaging 18.8 points per game. He is also very good at swiping the ball away from opposing player’s and averages 1.2 steals per game.

The 6’2” senior guard is a scoring machine and a gifted shooter. He is hitting 60.4% of his field-goal attempts and 91.7% of his free-throw attempts. If you leave Barcello open, he will make you pay.

The Utah Utes defense will need to limit his shot attempts. If they do not, they will be in for a very long night. Do not underestimate Alex Barcello and his sweet shot.

Utes Key Player: Branden Carlson

Center Branden Carlson is a talented player. He is 7’0” and possesses a lot of the skills of many NBA centers. He can throw down dunks and grab rebounds, but he can also hit threes and free-throws. He is leading the Utes in scoring, with 15.4 points per game, and blocks, with two a game.

Carlson has been Utah’s x-factor in these first five games and his strong play will be crucial against this strong BYU team. If BYU can limit Carlson’s scoring, the game should be a lot easier for them.

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