Utah State Aggies vs Grand Canyon Lopes Prediction – 1/17/2026

Utah State enters Saturday’s game with Grand Canyon riding one of the strongest starts in the Mountain West Conference, while the Antelopes are battling to stay above .500 in a rugged Mountain West schedule. This is the first-ever meeting between these programs, setting the stage for an intriguing conference showdown. Here, I have broken this game down from all angles and I’ve got you covered with my Utah State vs Grand Canyon prediction in men’s basketball.

Our Utah State vs Grand Canyon Pick

Game Snapshot

• Matchup: Utah State Aggies @ Grand Canyon Lopes
• Date & Time: Saturday, January 17, 2026, 2:30 PM ET
• Venue: Global Credit Union Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
• Broadcast: FS1

Key Storylines

Utah State (15–1, 6–0 MWC) has stormed through its schedule and entered the national rankings with a potent offense that averages 86 points per game while shooting north of 52% from the floor. Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. leads the Aggies with around 20 points per game and connects efficiently from deep. Mason Falslev has shown scoring ability of his own with recent big outings. The Aggies’ defensive numbers are solid and include forcing turnovers and rebounding well. Utah State’s road success and depth have been a strength as they look to remain unbeaten in conference play with a win here.

Grand Canyon (10–6, 3–2 MWC) has maintained decent home form, posting a winning record at Global Credit Union Arena. But the Lopes have had mixed results, with a recent blowout loss to New Mexico that saw their offense struggle. Jaden Henley leads GCU’s scoring with just over 17 points per game and Nana Owusu-Anane anchors the glass, but consistency has been elusive for the Lopes. Grand Canyon’s defensive identity is respectable, holding its opponents under 70 points per game on average. Matching Utah State’s firepower on Saturday will be a difficult assignment.

Head-to-Head & Betting Trends

• Because this is the first scheduled meeting between Utah State and Grand Canyon as conference foes, there’s no direct head-to-head history to lean on here.
• Utah State is 8-7 against the spread for the season going into this game.
• GCU is 7-9 against the spread heading into Saturday afternoon.
• The over is 8-7 through 15 games for Utah State this season.
• The under is 9-6-1 in GCU games this year.

Utah State vs Grand Canyon Model Projection

Final Thoughts

Jay Sanin

Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.