Oregon vs Utah Odds, Picks and Predictions: Shelstad Stunted in Tight Pac-12 Tilt

The Oregon Ducks sit atop the Pac-12 Conference standings, but they are coming off a 16-point road loss at the hands of the Colorado Buffaloes.

The Ducks’ first conference loss of the season was rough, and they face another difficult road test at Utah, where the Utes are undefeated and chasing the Pac-12 top spot.

Join me as I take a closer look at the college basketball odds with free college basketball picks for Oregon vs Utah on Sunday, January 21.

Oregon vs Utah best odds

Oregon vs Utah picks and predictions

Sunday’s tilt should be a great Pac-12 battle between two programs with 13 victories each, and both teams are in the thick of things in the conference standings.

The Utes are 10-0 at home but have been hit by the injury bug recently, with their top playmaker and a valuable rebounder off of the bench both missing Utah’s last two ballgames. The status of point guard Rollie Worster and reserve center Lawson Lovering for Sunday is unclear, but their absence has wreaked havoc with the Utes' rotation.

Oregon was blown out Thursday at Colorado for its first conference loss. The defense was horrific, and the offense committed 13 turnovers that the Buffaloes converted into 24 points. The Ducks were massacred on the glass 37-25 and edged out 10-5 on the offensive boards.

The Utes turned on the defensive jets Thursday against Oregon State after allowing 79 points at Stanford. They must do this because their offense without Worster and their bench without Lovering takes a major hit. The Utes haven’t surrendered 50+ in either of their last two home games and allowed 61.8 ppg through their 10 home games this season.

Utah will also enjoy a decisive size advantage Sunday. If Oregon thought they had difficulty on the glass against Colorado, just wait until they see this Utah team. Utah is second in the Pac-12 in total rebounds and averages six more caroms per game than Oregon. They’ll own the offensive glass, keep the Ducks from getting many second-chance points, and hold this high-scoring Oregon side well below their 78.2 ppg.

Finally, Utah has the best chance of winning if this one ends Under 153 points. The Utes could be missing two vital pieces to their team, and, as a result, their bench has struggled. The Utah reserves scored just eight points in their home blowout over Oregon State and just 18 at Stanford. Oregon was routed Thursday night by Colorado, and I expect the Ducks to put in a better effort on the defensive end after allowing 86 to the Buffaloes. 

Look for Utah to step up their defense, win the battle of the boards, and finish this one Under the number.

My best bet: Under 153 (-110 at Caesars)

Oregon vs Utah same-game parlay

Under 153

Jackson Shelstad Under 2.5 assists

Gabe Madsen Over 2.5 assists

+750 at Caesars

This three-leg same-game parlay card pays $750 for a $100 bet and correlates very well with my Under play.

The Utes play solid shooting defense, particularly at home, where they allow 39.8% accuracy from the field and 29.1% from downtown. 

Ducks guard Jackson Shelstead hasn’t cleared this assists mark in his last two, and I see the Ducks struggling to score, with Shelstead finishing Under 2.5 dimes.

Utah guard Gabe Madsen has cleared this prop in his last two home games and three of his last five. Oregon allows opponents to shoot 51% from the field and 40% from downtown as the away team. Madsen will have his chances, and he should clear this number. 

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Oregon vs Utah spread and Over/Under analysis

Utah is 10-0 and 7-3-0 ATS at John M. Huntsman Center, so it opened as a 5-point favorite. FanDuel has -4.5 (-120), but that’s too much juice to pay for the slightly lower number.

It would be nice to know the status of Worster and Lovering before backing Utah to cover. If they suit up, that number will likely balloon, but I don’t have much interest in either side of the spread until their status is revealed.

There is justification for taking Oregon +5. The Ducks cover the spread 50% of the time in conference play and 50% of the time as the away team. Their Thursday loss to Colorado had to sting, and I expect the Ducks defense to play a little tougher defense than they did against the Buffaloes.

Caesars has Under 153 (-110) amidst a sea of Over 152.5 markets across the college basketball odds landscape. Utah boasts an Over/Under record of 3-7-0 at home, while Oregon has an Over/Under mark of 2-2-0 in their four away games. 

Oregon vs Utah betting trend to know

Utah has only hit the Game Total Over in 12 of their last 30 games (-5.60 Units / -17% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Oregon vs. Utah.

Oregon vs Utah game info

Oregon vs Utah key injuries

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