BYU vs Utah 12/17/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds

The Utah Utes and the BYU Cougars meet Saturday in college basketball action from Marriott Center. Utah enters this matchup at 9-2 overall. The Utes took out UTSA in their last matchup. As for BYU, they’re sitting at 7-5 so far and coming off a win over Western Oregon. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.

Utah went 4-2 over their first six games this year. The losses in that stretch were to Sam Houston 65-55 and Mississippi State 52-49. Since then it’s been wins over St. Thomas MN, Arizona, Washington State, JSU and UTSA. 

In the UTSA matchup, the Utes took a 39-34 edge into the break. Utah rolled on a 52-36 run int he second and took a 91-70 blowout win. Branden Carlsen led the team on 27 points with nine rebounds and one assist. 

Over on the BYU side, they were 3-3 over their first six with losses to San Diego State, Butler and USC. The Cougars are 4-2 since then, taking wins over Dayton, Westminster UT, Creighton and Western Oregon. 

In the Western Oregon matchup, the Cougars surged to a 44-32 edge by the break. BYU kept the pressure up in the second with 53 more points in a 97-64 win. Gideon George was tops in scoring with 21 points and six boards. 

PICK: I’ll probably stay with Utah. This should be an interesting matchup, though. The Utes are rolling right along during this five-game win streak. They’ve scored 81 or more points in four of those games and the team has been competitive all season long—outside of the Sam Houston State dud, that is. As for BYU, they’ve generally been pretty competitive this year as well. The Cougars have posted 79 or more points in each of their last five wins and they’ve got the talent to give Utah some trouble. Should be a fun one to watch, and I like the Utes to eke out a cover.