Washington vs Utah Odds, Lines and Spreads
- Utah is a 7.5-point favorite over Pac-12 rival Washington in its season opener Thursday night in Salt Lake City (Dec. 3rd, 6:00 pm ET)
- The Utes return four starters and eight players from last season’s nine-man rotation
- Washington has averaged just 47.0 points in its first two games while shooting 33% from the field
Utah is jumping right into the Pac-12 fray.
The Utes will be playing their first game of the season at 6 p.m. ET Thursday night when they host reeling Washington in a conference showdown at the Huntsman Center in Salt Lake Center.
Despite not having the benefit of any non-conference tune ups because of COVID-19 related cancellations, Utah is a sizeable favorite against a Huskies team that is 0-2.
Washington vs Utah Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | +275 | +7.5 (-114) | Over 135.5 (-112) |
| Utah | -340 | -7.5 (-106) | Under 135.5 (-108) |
Odds as of Dec. 2 at FanDuel.
Utah Has Experience
Utah is hoping that having an experienced roster will help it climb up the Pac-12 standings this season.
The Utes finished eighth last season while compiling an overall 16-15 record. Utah lost to Oregon State in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament a day before the pandemic shut down the rest of the college basketball season.
However, Utah welcomes back four starters from the squad and eight of the nine members of coach Larry Krystkowiak’s rotation. The only loss was guard Both Gach, who transferred to Minnesota.
The leading returnee is junior forward Timmy Allen. A year ago, he averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 rebounds, both team highs.
After an exceptional freshman campaign for the University of Utah.. Timmy Allen was selected to the All Pac12 Preseason 2nd team lineup.. keep an eye out for the Arizona native. 🏀🚨 @timmybuckets35 pic.twitter.com/Z9SYCIwJRX
— Good Game Edits 👨🏾💻 (@Goodgameedits) October 26, 2019
Allen also had six double-doubles. He worked extensively on his jump shot in the offseason after shooting just 21.1% from 3-point range in 2019-20.
The other starters back are sophomore guard Rylan Jones (9.6 ppg), junior forward Riley Battin (7.8 ppg) and sophomore center Branden Carlson (7.0 ppg).
Look for senior guard Alfonzo Plummer to take on a larger role after he averaged 26.3 ppg in Utah’s final three games last season. He set a Pac-12 record with 11 3s in the season-ending loss to Oregon State.
Struggling Huskies
Washington began its season with two games in Las Vegas and looked bad in both, getting blown out 86-52 to Baylor in the opener as an 11.5-point underdog then getting thumped 57-42 by UC-Riverside despite being a 10-point favorite.
That the Huskies are slow getting out of the gate is not that surprising. Their two best players from last season, forward Isaiah Stewart and Jaden McDaniels, were both one-and-dones as they left for the NBA following their freshmen seasons.
While Washington finished last in the Pac-12 last season and expectations are relatively low in 2020-21 for a team that returns just 35% of its scoring, the loss to UC-Riverside was downright alarming.
UC riverside beat Washington huskies by 15 in basketball 🏀 wowzers 57-42
— Dustin ohara (@ohara_dustin) December 2, 2020
The Huskies did not score a field goal in the last 9:03, managing just four free throws down the stretch. They shot 29.6% and were outrebounded 49-32.
Washington has shot just 33% from the field so far, including a paltry 18.2% from 3-point range, while averaging just 47.0 points a game.
One bright spot has been Quade Green, who scored 18 points against UC-Riverside. At 10.0, the junior guard is the only Husky scoring in double figures.
It all starts with defense. ✋@Dreamville_33's block on one end turns into a Quade Green and-1 on the other.
Watch @UW_MBB on Pac-12 Now: https://t.co/36TdDlvrBs pic.twitter.com/UJrIKEMQAg
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 20, 2019
Green was ruled academically ineligible in January last season in his first season in the program after transferring from Kentucky. Washington was 11-4 with Green and 4-13 without him.
On the other hand, senior forward Hameir Wright made only one of 10 shots from beyond the arc in the latest loss.
Washington Turning Tide?
Washington has won two of the last three games against Utah. That came after Utes beat the Huskies six times in a row.
The teams met once last season with Utah edging Washington 67-66 at home as a one-point favorite.
Battin led Utah with 17 points. Jones added 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Allen finished with 13 points and nine rebounds.
This game does not figure to be nearly as close.
The Pick: Utah -7.5 (-106)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
