Utah Valley vs Tarleton State 1/1/22 College Basketball Picks, Predictions, Odds
Tarleton State Texans (6-8) vs. Utah Valley Wolverines (9-4)
January 1, 2022 4:00 pm EDT
The Line: Utah Valley Wolverines -5 / Tarleton State Texans +5 ; Over/Under: 119
(Get latest betting odds)
The Tarleton Texans will travel to the UCCU Center to take on the Utah Valley Wolverines this Saturday afternoon in College Basketball action.
The Tarleton Texans won their 3rd straight game and improved to 6-8 on the season after defeating the Dixie State Trailblazers, 83-69, this past Thursday. Tarleton got off to a quick start offensively against Dixie State and pulled away in the 2nd half after taking a 73-61 lead with 4:00 minutes left in regulation. Tarleton shot 50.0% from the field & 50.0% from beyond the arc while holding Dixie State to 44.8% shooting from the field & 34.8% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Texans was Freddy Hicks who had 27 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, & 2 blocks.
On the season, Tarleton is averaging 74.5 ppg on 42.3% shooting from the field. The Texans are averaging 4.7 three-pointers per game on 29.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Tarleton has been led by Montre Gipson (14.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.2 spg), Tahj Small (14.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.2 spg), Freddy Hicks (9.4 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.0 spg), & Shamir Bogues (6.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 2.1 spg).
Defensively, Tarleton is holding their opponents to an average of 62.4 ppg on 43.3% shooting from the field. The Texans have a rebound margin of -2.3 and a turnover margin of 4.6.
The Utah Valley Wolverines had their 2-game winning streak snapped and dropped to 9-4 on the season after being defeated by the Abilene Christian Wildcats, 80-76, this past Thursday. Utah Valley trailed by a 38-35 margin at halftime and could not fight back after Abilene Christian took a 65-58 lead with 7:35 left in regulation. Utah Valley shot 58.0% from the field & 52.2% from beyond the arc while allowing Abilene Christian to shoot 49.2% from the field & 40.0% from beyond the arc. Leading the way for the Wolverines was Blaze Nield who had a double-double with 27 points, 7 rebounds, 11 assists, 1 block, & 2 steals.
On the season, Utah Valley is averaging 75.6 ppg on 46.4% shooting from the field. The Wolverines are averaging 7.1 three-pointers per game on 35.7% shooting from beyond the arc. Offensively, Utah Valley has been led by Fardaws Aimaq (19.5 ppg, 13.4 rpg, 1.2 apg, 1.5 bpg), Le’Tre Darthard (10.8 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.5 apg), Connor Harding (10.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 2.8 apg), & Blaze Nield (9.1 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 5.0 apg, 1.3 spg).
Defensively, Utah Valley is holding their opponents to an average of 65.2 ppg on 39.2% shooting from the field. The Wolverines have a rebound margin of 8.4 and a turnover margin of -3.1.
The Texans are 6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS win and 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games. The Wolverines are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a ATS loss and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
Many people might not know much about Tarleton or Utah Valley, however, these are two very solid programs this season as Tarleton has given big name schools (Michigan, Gonzaga) trouble while Utah Valley has picked up impressive wins against BYU & Washington. Tarleton has been outstanding defensively this season which I think continue in this matchup, even against a very good offensive team in Utah Valley, and as I think this game stays competitive until the end, I’m taking Tarleton and the points in this one. Good Luck!
