Stanford vs. Utah prediction, pick
The Stanford Cardinal takes on the Utah Utes. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Stanford Utah prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Stanford Utah.
The college basketball season was a disaster for the Stanford Cardinal. A program that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2014 shows no real signs of waking up from its slumber and finding a winning identity. Head coach Jerod Haase has worked in Palo Alto for more than half a decade, yet he hasn’t once played in the NCAA Tournament. His seat is extremely hot, and most Pac-12 basketball insiders believe his fate is sealed. Stanford has had a few blowout wins in recent weeks, but they’ve come up against the other two particularly bad teams in the conference, Oregon State and Cal. If Stanford really wants to change perceptions, it will go to Salt Lake City and beat a Utah team that stalled after starting 5-0 in Pac-12 play. The Utes are 3-4 in their last seven games and need a lot of wins in February if they want to make the NCAA Tournament.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Stanford-Utah College Basketball odds.
College basketball odds: Stanford-Utah odds
Stanford Cardinal: +5.5 (-102)
Utah Utes: -5.5 (-120)
Over: 133.5 (-110)
Minus: 133.5 (-110)
How to watch Stanford vs. Utah
Television: Pac-12 network
Stream: Pac-12 Now
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET, 5:00 p.m. PT
*Watch Stanford-Utah LIVE with fuboTV (Click for Free Trial)*
Why Stanford might cover the spread
Stanford is not a very good team, but the Cardinal destroyed Cal a week ago. Given that Stanford was eliminated by Cal earlier in January, the 180-degree turn against the Golden Bears shows that Stanford is improving and capable of evolving. We didn’t see any real evolution until those recent decision wins over Cal and Oregon State. Yes, they are bad teams, but Stanford hadn’t beaten bad teams earlier in the season. The Cardinal clearly seems fed up with playing below his potential and constantly losing games. This team is now more spirited, more passionate, more committed to sacrificing and paying the price of victory.
Utah is struggling. The Utes lost to Oregon last Saturday, scoring just 56 points. Utah guard Gabe Madsen injured his leg against Oregon, and his playing status is unknown approximately seven hours before the start of this game. If Madsen can’t play, that could be the difference for Stanford.
Why Utah could cover the spread
The Utes have struggled in recent weeks, but it’s Stanford we’re talking about. The Cardinal has beaten Oregon State and Cal in recent weeks, but that’s not a sign of much improvement. The only moderately decent team Stanford has beaten in the past month is Oregon. The Cardinal struggled against Chicago State in a recent home game.
It’s also worth noting that Stanford’s three Pac-12 wins have all come at home. More than that, Stanford doesn’t have a single win this season in a real road game. Stanford has won a few neutral-site games, one against Florida State in a holiday tournament in late November, but the Cardinal hasn’t won any real road contests. It will be very difficult for this team to win on the road in Salt Lake City, even if Gabe Madsen cannot play for the Utes.
Final Stanford-Utah prediction and picks
Gabe Madsen’s injury situation is certainly something to watch here, but the spread remains noticeably low, and the difference between these teams is considerable even if Madsen isn’t in the mix. Take Utah.
Final Stanford-Utah prediction and pick: Utah -5.5