Two of the top teams in the WAC face off as Grand Canyon faces Utah Valley. It’s time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Grand Canyon-Utah Valley prediction and pick.
Grand Canyon comes into the game sitting at 11-4 on the year, and 1-0 in WAC play. They opened up the year 2-0 before losses to Arizona State and UC Davis. They would then win four more in a row, before falling to Georgia and Louisiana Tech. Since then, they have won five in a row. Last time out they faced Southern Utah. In that game, Grand Canyon held the lead most of the game, but Southern Utah would take the lead with just under eight minutes left in the game. Still, Grand Canyon would go on to win 82-71.
Meanwhile, Utah Valley is 9-6, but also 1-0 in WAC play. They opened up 4-1 before four straight losses. Still, they are 5-1 since then, and last time out played conference foe Abilene Christian. It was a tight game for the first 15 minutes, but Utah Valley would take the lead in the first half, leading 28-24. From there, they dominated, going on to win the game 64-53.
Since 2005, these two schools have met 24 times. Grand Canyon leads the series 15-9. They have also won five of the last six over Utah Valley, including both games last season.
Here are the Grand Canyon-Utah Valley College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Grand Canyon-Utah Valley Odds
Grand Canyon: -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -162
Utah Valley: +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +134
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
How to Watch Grand Canyon vs. Utah Valley
Time: 8:00 PM ET/ 5:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why Grand Canyon Will Cover The Spread/Win
Grand Canyon is ranked 97th in KenPom’s rankings. They are 157th in adjusted offensive efficiency but sit 72nd in adjusted defensive efficiency. Grand Canyon has scored well this year, sitting 71st in the nation in points per game this year. Further, they get to the line well. Grand Canyon is fifth in the nation in both free throw attempts and free throws made this year.
JaKobe Coles leads Grand Canyon in scoring this year, He comes in with 13.9 points per game while adding 5.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. He is joined in the front court by Duke Brennan. Brennan is scoring 9.9 points per game while coming down with 9.2 rebounds per game this year.
Meanwhile, Tyon Grant-Forster has also been rebounding well and is great on defense. He comes in with 6.5 rebounds per game while adding two steals per game. Grant-Foster also scored 13.1 points per game while giving out 1.9 assists, and having 1.4 blocks per game. He is joined in the backcourt by Ray Harrison. Harrison is scoring 11.8 points per game, while also having 2.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.5 steals. Finally, Collin Moore has 9.9 points per game, while having 4.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and two steals per game.
Why Utah Valley Will Cover The Spread/Win
Utah Valley is ranked 167th in KenPom’s rankings. They are 263rd in adjusted offensive efficiency but sit 95th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Utah Valley has been better on the defensive end of the court this year. They are 102nd in the nation in opponent points per game while sitting 103rd in opponent effective field goal percentage. They have also been solid on the glass, sitting 77th in rebounds per game.
Utah Valley is led by Dominick Nelson, who leads the team in scoring. He comes in with 13.8 points per game, while also adding 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists. He is joined in the backcourt by Trevan Leonhardt, who leads the team in assists and steals. Leonhardt has 5.2 assists per game while adding 1.8 steals. Further, he scored 6.5 points with 4.5 rebounds.
Carter Welling leads the team in rebounds from his forward spot. He is averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, while scoring 13.2 points, and having 2.2 blocks per game. He is joined by Ethan Potter. Potter is scoring 9.5 points per game while adding 4.9 rebounds.
Final Grand Canyon-Utah Valley Prediction & Pick
This game will come down to a few key factors. The first will be turnovers. While Grand Canyon is 246th in turnovers per game, they are also 16th in the nation in opponent turnovers per game and tenth in steals per game. Meanwhile, Utah Valley is 238th in turnovers per game, and 256th in opponent steals per game. The second will be the rebounding battle. While Utah Valley is 15th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage, they are not strong on the offensive glass. Meanwhile, Grand Canyon is 40th in defensive rebound percentage while sitting 78th in offensive rebounding percentage. Last is the free throw line. Grand Canyon is fifth in the nation in free throw attempts per game. Meanwhile, Utah Valley is 183rd in opponent free throws per game. The free points will make the difference in this one.
Final Grand Canyon-Utah Valley Prediction & Pick: Grand Canyon -3.5 (-110)
The post Grand Canyon vs. Utah Valley prediction, odds, pick for College Basketball appeared first on ClutchPoints.
