The Oregon Ducks are one of the hottest teams in college basketball, and their long winning streak has catapulted the team into the top-10 nationally. Oregon is in the mix for the Pac-12 title and will aim to stay unblemished in conference when they face off with the Utah Utes.
The Ducks have the superior team, but Utah is a solid foe and plays at home, so this showdown is a critical one as Oregon is tied with Arizona atop the Pac-12. The Utes are in the mix for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and a win over Oregon would be a huge boost to their chances.
Don't miss the hardwood action from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, Utah at 10:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 26, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on FS1.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oregon is 18-2 straight up and 11-8 against the spread. The Ducks have only played three true road games this season but have done well, covering in two of them. They are 10-7 as the favorites against the spread and figure to be giving points again in this matchup.
Utah is 14-5 straight up and 10-6-1 against the spread. The Utes have played in nine home games and have covered in five of those. They have been the underdog four times this season, going 2-1-1 against the spread in those contests.
Key Stat
16. That’s the number of wins in a row the Ducks have reeled off. They started the season only 2-2 but have since hit their stride. This is the team that was expected after they went on a nice March Madness run a year ago.
Oregon is 7-0 in the Pac-12, which includes home wins over then-No. 2 UCLA and then-No. 22 USC. The Ducks are tied atop the conference with Arizona and are heading toward a showdown with the Wildcats in a couple of weeks.
The Ducks are averaging 7.7 blocks per game and 6.6 steals per game while allowing only 62.7 points per contest, as their defense has been one of the reasons why the winning streak has reached such an impressive number.
Injury Report
Utah’s second-leading scorer, David Collette, missed the last two games with concussion symptoms. His availability for this game seems unlikely, and it’s a situation to watch closely as the game draws near.
Collette is an important piece for Utah, as he is averaging 14.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per contest while shooting an impressive 63.6 percent from the field.
Utah averages 81.6 points per game so it has others it can go to, but missing Collette, if he can’t play, will certainly be a blow as the Utes aim for the upset. Concussion symptoms can linger for weeks so it may be a longshot for him to play in this one unless it was a relatively minor issue.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
While UCLA got the Pac-12 pub early and Arizona has come on of late, Oregon has been steady and is certainly right in the thick of the conference race. The Ducks would love to claim a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament but has to finish hot in order to get one.
Utah almost knocked off UCLA at home recently so the Utes will be confident they can pull this one off. It should be an entertaining and competitive matchup, but Oregon has the firepower and the continuity to go on the road and capture this one.
The Ducks are the choice to extend their winning streak and remain atop the conference. Keep an eye on the spread, though, because Utah could keep this one close enough to cover.
College Basketball Odds: Oregon 83, Utah 79
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