The No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks (17-7, 8-5 Big 12) seek to win back-to-back games for the first time in nearly a month as they head to Salt Lake City for a meeting with the Utah Utes (13-11, 5-8 Big 12).
Both teams have been trending toward the Under in this situational spot. I’m betting on that trend to continue with my college basketball picks and Kansas vs. Utah predictions on Saturday, February 15.
Kansas vs Utah prediction
My best bet
Under 145.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
For all the hullabaloo about how the Kansas Jayhawks have fallen off this year, Bill Self’s team still ranks 10th overall in KenPom and has one of the best defenses (fifth in adjusted efficiency) in the country. What’s holding them back, and why is there a sense of negativity?
The offense. Kansas ranks just 41st in adjusted efficiency, and its the main reason why it is being questioned as a serious title contender.
There’s a glaring deficiency in getting to the line (273rd in free throw attempt rate per Haslametrics) and its ranking of 199th in offensive rebounds per game (10.5) means a lack of easy buckets.
The Utah Utes rank 133rd in BartTorvik’s adjusted offensive efficiency since January 13. They take a lot of threes (25.5 per game) but don’t convert at a high clip (215th in 3-point percentage vs. the average opponent per Haslametrics), and they’re miserable from the stripe (third-worst free throw percentage at 62%).
Utah does lead the country in assist rate and prefer to get easy looks at the rim (42nd in near-proximity attempt rate) or open shots from distance. Thing is, that plays right into Kansas’ strengths defensively — the Jayhawks rank 23rd in near-proximity defense and fourth in three-point defense.
The Jayhawks excel when players like Hunter Dickinson get open looks down low, leading the nation in near-proximity field goal percentage. The Utes are one of the biggest teams in the nation and rank second in near-proximity defense, so they appear well-poised to mitigate Kansas’ damage at the rim.
Although Utah plays with pace, it has gone just 6-9 O/U at the Jon M. Huntsman Center. Kansas, meanwhile, is 2-6 O/U on the road and likely won’t push the pace more than normal since this game is at altitude.
Combine these teams’ records and it comes out to 8-15 O/U, so I’m betting on another Under coming through on Saturday.
Kansas vs Utah same-game parlay (SGP)
Kansas -6.5
Under 145.5
To say that Utah hasn’t handled stepping up in competition might be an understatement. Craig Smith’s squad ranks second to last in Evan Miya’s opponent adjustment metric, meaning they’ve performed worse than just about any other team when facing tougher competition.
The Utes were blown out 61-76 at home by Baylor. Before that, Houston dismantled them 36-70. Iowa State (59-82), Texas Tech (65-93), and Baylor again (56-81) all resulted in lopsided results.
Every time Utah has faced a tough opponent, the outcome has been brutal. That could change at home against a Kansas team that is just 2-7 ATS in its last nine games, but I’ll need to see it before I believe it.
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Kansas vs Utah odds
Kansas vs Utah live odds
Kansas vs Utah opening odds
- Spread: Kansas -6.5 (-110) | Utah +6.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Kansas -280 | Utah +230
- Over/Under: Over 145.5 (-110) | Under 145.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
Kansas vs Utah betting trend to know
Kansas is 2-6 O/U on the road. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Utah. Find more college basketball betting trends for Kansas vs. Utah.
How to watch Kansas vs Utah
| Location | Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, UT |
| Date | Saturday, 2-15-2025 |
| Tip-off | 10:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Kansas vs Utah key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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