Colorado Buffaloes vs Utah Utes Prediction, 1/11/2021 College Basketball Pick, Tips and Odds

Game: Colorado Buffaloes vs Utah Utes

Date: Monday, January 11, 2021

Location: Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Colorado (-1.5)

The Colorado Buffaloes (8-3) travel to Jon M. Huntsman Center on Monday where they'll meet the Utah Utes (4-4). Colorado opens this matchup as 1.5-point favorites. The O/U opens at 136.

Colorado will enter this game with a mark of 8-3 for the season. The Buffaloes are hitting 36.1% on shots from 3-point land (87 of 241) and 85.6% from the free throw line. They currently have an average of 75.6 pts per game (118th in D-1) while connecting on 45.5% from the field. They lose possession via turnover 11.7 times per contest and as a unit are committing 16.6 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Colorado is snagging 36.1 boards per game and has 155 assists so far this season, which has them ranked 100th in the nation in terms of passing the rock. On the defensive end, the Buffaloes are able to force 14.4 turnovers per game and they draw 17.4 personal fouls. They relinquish 31.5% on 3-point shots and they are ranked 29th in D-1 in PPG allowed (62.6). The Buffaloes defense is giving up an opponent FG percentage of 41.2% (255 of 619) and they surrender 31.2 rebounds per contest as a team. They currently rank 221st in Division 1 in giving up assists to their opponents with 134 surrendered this season.

The Colorado Buffaloes stepped onto the hardwood against the Oregon Ducks and walked away with a win by a score of 79-72 in their last contest. Colorado ended the game with a 46.0% FG percentage (29 of 63) and converted 7 of their 26 three-point shots. At the charity stripe, the Buffaloes buried 14 of 15 attempts for a rate of 93.3%. In reference to pulling down boards, they earned 38 with 12 of them being offensive. They also doled out 12 assists in this contest in addition to having 5 steals and 4 blocked shots. With respect to the defense, Colorado allowed the other team to shoot 46.0% from the field on 29 of 63 shooting. Oregon distributed 8 assists and had 6 steals for the contest. On top of that, the Ducks pulled down 24 boards (6 offensive, 18 defensive) and had 4 rejections. Oregon walked away from this one shooting 70.0% at the charity stripe by burying 7 of their 10 attempts. They also made 7 out of their 19 tries from 3-point range.

McKinley Wright is someone who was a major factor in this game. He finished with 21 points on 7 out of 14 shooting. He saw the court for 36 mins and also totaled 10 boards. Wright finished the contest at 50.0% from the field and earned 5 dimes. An additional guy that had an impact in this matchup for the Buffaloes was Jeriah Horne. He grabbed 6 rebounds and also had 2 assists. He ended up going 50.0% from the floor in this matchup by connecting on 7-of-14 (17 points). When all was said and done, Horne was on the court for 33 minutes.

Utah has a mark of 4-4 this season. On the offensive side of the court, the Utes are connecting on 43.5% from the floor, which has them ranked 219th in the nation. Utah has 558 points this season (69.8 per contest) and they pull down 33.0 rebounds per game. Their rate of dishing out assists is at 15.6 times per game (74th in the nation) and they are turning it over 11.5 times per contest. The Utes commit 16.5 fouls per contest and they connect on 73.2% from the free throw line. The Utes on defense are ranked 79th in D-1 in points allowed per contest with 65.8. They give up 13.8 assists and 36.9 rebounds per contest, which ranks them 233rd and 249th in those defensive categories. The Utah defense allows 31.6% on shots from beyond the arc (55 of 174) and opponents are making 74.8% of their shots from the charity stripe. They have forced 15.4 TO's every game and allow teams to shoot 43.3% from the floor (189th in the country).

When they last played, the Utah Utes walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 79-73 against the Oregon Ducks. The Utes earned 25 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive boards for a total of 32 for the contest. They also stuffed 6 tries while recording 2 steals in the game. The Ducks were called for 16 personal fouls in this contest which got the Utes to the free throw line for 12 shots. They were able to bury 9 of those for a clip of 75.0%. When discussing 3-pointers, Utah buried 6 out of 17 tries (35.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Utes finished 29 out of 52 from the field which had them shooting 55.8%. The Utes permitted the Ducks to make 28 of their 62 attempts from the floor which had them sitting at 45.2% in the game. They went 45.5% from 3-point land by connecting on 10 out of 22 and walked away from this one shooting 13 out of 16 from the charity stripe (81.3%). In the matter of team rebounding, Utah allowed Oregon to get 24 in all (6 on the offensive side).

Timmy Allen pitched in for the Utes in this contest. He buried 9 out of 13 for this contest for a field goal rate of 69.2%, which had him finishing with 23 points. Allen had 5 rebounds in his 36 minutes played and accumulated 3 dimes for the game. An additional guy that ended being a contributor for Utah was Mikael Jantunen. He ended up with 20 points in his 37 minutes on the hardwood via 8 out of 14 shooting for the matchup. Jantunen walked away from this one going 57.1% from the field as well as contributing 2 assists and 7 boards.

Who will win tonight's college basketball game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Colorado (-1.5)

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