On the first night of Pac-12 Tournament action from Las Vegas, the Stanford Cardinal will face the Utah Utes in round one. These teams split their regular season series, and the rubber match on Wednesday night will determine who will advance to the second round of this conference tourney. Here, we make our college basketball betting picks for this Stanford vs Utah clash from the desert.
Stanford vs Utah Betting Pick
| ℹ️ The Pick: | Utah -1 |
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This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena at 9:00 PM ET on Wednesday, March 8, 2023.
Why Bet On Utah:
✅ These teams split their two regular season matchups this year, but Stanford shot an unusually high percentage from three-point range in the game they won. They shot 20% better than their season average from three in that game, and that will not happen again.
✅ Utah averages 4.6 rebounds per game more than Stanford, and should be able to control the game by controlling the glass.
✅ Stanford is 2-4 in neutral site games this season, and will struggle again on a neutral court here.
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Stanford Cardinal: Leaving Las Vegas In Round One?
The Stanford Cardinal enter the Pac-12 Tournament with a record of 13-18 overall and 7-13 in conference play. They lost their last game prior to the conference tournament, but kept things close in a five-point loss on the road against the Oregon Ducks. On Wednesday night, the Cardinal will aim to keep their slim chances of a conference tournament title alive with a win over a struggling Utah Utes squad.
For Stanford, the question going into this game is whether or not they can contain Branden Carlson both offensively and on the glass. Carlson is averaging 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds per game for the Utes, and has the potential to take games over, even if he hasn’t done so over the last couple of weeks. The Cardinal must hold him in check to win this Stanford vs Utah matchup.
Utah Utes: Looking to Break Long Losing Streak to Advance
Utah comes into conference tournament time on a five-game losing streak, as a brutal end of season schedule got the better of them. Outside of a bad loss to Colorado during that stretch, the other four games during that streak came against teams that are either solidly in the NCAA Tournament are on the bubble. Against a Stanford team that is nowhere near the tournament conversation, Utah will hope that some easier competition will mean a first round win.
In this game, Utah’s advantage on the glass could be what sets them apart here. They lost their game against Stanford in which they were outrebounded, and won their meeting where they outrebounded the Cardinal. Because of that, look for Utah to really prioritize rebounding in numbers to keep their season alive for at least another day.
