The Arizona Wildcats started off the Pac-12 strong and will aim to keep it up when they host the Utah Utes. Arizona has some stiff competition near the top of the conference with Oregon and UCLA also playing well, so it can’t afford slip-ups in winnable games like this.
Utah has been competitive against ranked teams in the non-conference season and will aim to pull this upset. However, it won’t be easy to do in Tucson in what should be a raucous crowd. Arizona has shaken off a blip in the middle of the non-conference slate and seems to be hitting its groove as the season heads down the stretch.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, January 5, 2017, at 10 p.m. ET at the McKale Center in Tucson, Arizona.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona is 13-2 straight up and 9-6 against the spread. The Wildcats have played seven games with a spread at home this year and have covered in four of them. They have been favored in 10 of their 15 games and have gone 6-4 against the spread in such contests.
Utah is 10-3 straight up but only 5-6 against the spread. The Utes have only played one true road game so far and did cover in that contest. Utah has been the underdog two times, covering once heading into this one, where it will be getting points.
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The Utes have gotten a boost from a pair of mid-year transfers who missed the first portion of the season but are now firmly entrenched in the rotation.
Sedrick Barefield came over from Southern Methodist and has averaged 14.2 points and 2.6 assists in 27 minutes per game. He is shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from three-point range. Barefield scored 35 points a few games ago against San Francisco and has the ability to fill it up in a hurry.
David Collette has played nine games like Barefield. The Utah State transfer is averaging a team-high 15.4 points per game and adding 6.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. He had 14 points and nine rebounds in the team’s conference-opening win over Colorado.
While Utah isn’t seen as one of the elite teams in the conference, the addition of these two players to go along with Kyle Kuzma makes Utah much more dangerous down the stretch in the Pac-12.
Player to Watch
Lauri Markkanen -- With Allonzo Trier still suspended indefinitely, Arizona has relied heavily on the 7-foot freshman forward with NBA potential.
Markkanen is averaging 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest. He is shooting 49 percent from the floor and 44.3 percent from three-point range as a stretch forward who is a hard player to cover because of his shooting ability.
Trier’s absence continues to be a big one, but Markkanen has taken over already as the go-to player. He averaged 14 points and 7.5 rebounds in the first two games in the Pac-12, wins over California and Stanford. He has proven he can perform even against increased competition.
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Utah is an interesting team to watch because of its infusion of talent. The Utes may have been able to sneak this game out at home but it will be tough in a hostile environment.
Arizona may not have the high-end capability as some of its past teams, but the group continues to find ways to win. While UCLA and Oregon may have slightly more talent this year, the Wildcats are not far behind.
They are one of only four teams that survived the first weekend of conference play unscathed and will aim to improve to 3-0 in the Pac-12 with the win. It’s going to happen, as Markkanen should lead the way in a victory, but Utah will be competitive.
College Basketball Odds: Arizona 74, Utah 70
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