Washington vs. Utah Preview

College Basketball Betting – Huskies Travel To Utah On Saturday
Fans of the Vancouver Canucks may be familiar with the basketball program at the University of Washington, which has reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years and went to the second round two seasons ago. The Huskies will take their show on the road to Utah, where the Utes are floundering in their first year in the Pac-12.

Washington Utah Odds – Saturday, 2:00 PM ET

The Huskies (8-5, 2-0 Pac-12 as of Thursday) had won four of their last five heading to a Thursday night game at Colorado, and a BetOnline.com review of this game may show Washington could be more effective with C.J. Wilcox coming off the bench. Wilcox hit 24 points off the pine on New Year’s Eve to lead the Huskies to a 76-60 win at home over Oregon, going 8-of-11 from the field and nailing six of his eight three-point attempts. Tony Wroten was next with 17 points for the Huskies, who shot 53.7% from the field and they could be on their way up in the eyes of players that use price per head software. The Pac-12 is wide open this year and Washington could take it if Wilcox is fine with his sixth man role (he still played 33 minutes against the Ducks).

The Utes (3-10, 0-1 Pac-12 as of Thursday) dropped their first-ever Pac-12 game with a 73-33 loss in Colorado, and the most experienced player that works with bookie software would be surprised at the numbers that came out of this game. Jason Washburn was the only player in double figures with 10 points for the Utes, who shot 22.6% from the field (including 2-of-23 from beyond the arc), they were outrebounded 44-23, and they scored a measly 11 points in the first half. It’s not looking good for the Utes in their first year in the Pac-12, and they still have to host Washington State on Thursday night. All three of their previous wins (San Diego Christian, Idaho State and Portland) were at home, but by a combined 20 points. If you’re beating San Diego Christian by three points at home, you’re going to have problems in a major conference.

These two programs have met just twice (in 2004 and 2007), with Washington taking away records of 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS. This is their first trip to Salt Lake City, but at least the games in Washington were competitive. This shouldn’t be close as the Utes have a first-year head coach in Larry Krystkowiak and Washington just has more talent across the board. Regardless of the spread, take Washington in your college basketball betting picks.