Utah Utes vs Colorado Buffaloes Prediction, 1/7/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Utah Utes vs Colorado Buffaloes

Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2026

Location: CU Events Center in Boulder, CO

TV: ESPN+

The Colorado Buffaloes (11-3) are welcoming the Utah Utes (8-6) at CU Events Center on Wednesday.

The Utah Utes faced Arizona and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 97-78 in their last game. Utah walked away from the game with a 44.3% FG percentage (31 out of 70) and made 5 of their 17 shots from beyond the arc. When they shot from the free throw line, the Utes made 11 of their 12 shots for a percentage of 91.7%. When discussing hauling in boards, they compiled 29 with 9 of them being offensive. They also dished out 13 assists for this game while creating 9 turnovers and earning 5 steals. In regard to defending, Utah allowed their opponent to shoot 53.6% from the floor on 37 of 69 shooting. Arizona doled out 18 assists and had 11 steals in this contest. Moreover, Arizona had 41 rebounds (13 offensive, 28 defensive), but finished the game with no rejections. Arizona walked away from this one shooting 76.2% from the free throw line by burying 16 of their 21 shots. They buried 7 of 18 attempts from beyond the arc. In reference to fouls, the Utes walked away with 16 and Arizona recorded 13 fouls.

Terrence Brown is someone who came through in the game. He ended up walking away with 26 points on 10 of 20 shooting. He was on the court for 33 minutes and grabbed 4 boards. He shot 50.0% from the floor and dished out 6 dimes.

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Utah will take the court with a mark of 8-6 on the year. They average 80.9 pts per game (110th in college hoops) while hitting 47.0% from the floor. The Utes are connecting on 35.8% from downtown (119 of 332) and 73.8% from the charity stripe. As a unit, Utah is snagging 35.6 boards per contest and has accounted for 204 assists on the campaign, which is 235th in the country in terms of passing. They lose possession by turning the ball over 11.9 times per game and as a unit they are committing 17.8 fouls per contest.

Defensively, the Utes are forcing their opponents into 10.6 turnovers every game and they draw 17.6 personal fouls. They rank 73rd in college in allowing assists to their opponents with 175 surrendered for the season. The Utes defensively are giving up a field goal percentage of 46.5% (413 of 888) and they surrender 36.4 boards per game as a team. They give up 34.0% on three-point shots and they are 320th in college hoops in opponents PPG (79.8).

The last time they took the hardwood, the Colorado Buffaloes took home the win by a final score of 95-89 against Arizona State. When it comes to rebounding, Colorado allowed Arizona State to collect 30 in total (10 on the offensive side). They went 21.4% from distance by connecting on 6 out of 28 and finished the game at 21 out of 27 from the charity stripe (77.8%). The Buffaloes allowed Arizona State to make 31 out of 68 tries from the floor which left them shooting 45.6% for this game. When all was said and done, the Buffaloes shot 29 out of 59 from the field which had them sitting at 49.2%. In regard to three-point shots, Colorado made 5 of 16 tries (31.3%). They were able to convert 32 of the free throws for a rate of 84.2%. Arizona State had 24 personal fouls in this game which got the Buffaloes to the free throw line for a total of 38 tries. They gave up possession 13 times, while recording 9 steals for this contest. The Buffaloes snagged 28 defensive boards and 12 offensive rebounds totaling 40 in the game.

Isaiah Johnson ended up having an impact for the Buffaloes for this game. He tallied 19 points in his 26 mins of playing time and had 3 assists for this contest. He made 5 of 11 in this game giving him a rate of 45.5%, and totaled 3 rebounds.

Colorado has a win-loss record of 11-3 for the year. The Buffaloes are committing 17.6 fouls every game and they hit 76.9% from the free throw line. They are assisting teammates 16.4 times per contest (83rd in the nation) and they are giving up possession 10.4 times per contest. Colorado has totaled 1,212 pts so far this year (86.6 per game) and they pull in 36.9 rebounds per contest. When it comes to executing on offense, the Buffaloes are hitting on 49.9% from the floor, which ranks 28th in the nation.

The Colorado defense surrenders 36.9% from downtown (114 of 309) and their opposition knocks down 73.0% of their shots from the free throw line. They have allowed 12.6 assists and 31.8 boards on a nightly basis, which ranks 130th and 57th in D-1. The Buffaloes on the defensive side of the court are 304th in college in points allowed per contest with 78.2. They are forcing 11.6 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 45.4% from the floor (284th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Tony Sink's Pick: Take Utah

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