On opening night, the Arizona Wildcats beat the No. 3 Florida Gators, who are the reigning National Champions. Now the Wildcats return to Tucson to host the Utah Tech Trailblazers for their home opener. Arizona beat Utah Tech 104-77 in their lone matchup in November 2022.
Arizona is a -33.5-point favorite against Utah Tech on DraftKings Sportsbook. This game has an over/under of 163.5 points. Here is my best bet for Friday’s matchup between Arizona and Utah Tech.
Arizona vs. Utah Tech (9:00 p.m. ET)
In their first game, Arizona was led by freshman Koa Peat and veteran Jaden Bradley. Peat and Braldey combined for 57 points. In that game, Peat delivered one of the greatest debuts from a freshman in college basketball history. Peat totaled 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals while shooting 11-18 from the field. Entering this season, Peat was expected to be a major contributor for Arizona, but he exceeded all expectations on opening night.
Although fellow five-star prospect Brayden Burries underperformed in his first collegiate game, Ivan Kharchenkov became the fifth Arizona freshman to record a double-double in their debut. Arizona has proven itself to be one of the top teams in the country, boasting an elite roster that includes both freshmen and quality veterans.
Tonight, Arizona is playing Utah Tech, who enter tonight’s game with a 2-0 record. Utah Valley transfer Ethan Potter is leading the Trailblazers in scoring through two games with 19. Six players for Utah Valley are averaging double-digit points so far this season. Even though Utah Tech has only allowed 79 and 65 points in its first two matchups, they have an incredibly tough test tonight against the Wildcats.
Arizona’s starting center, Motiejus Krivas, recorded six points, eight rebounds, and three blocks on Monday. Even though he wasn’t a significant factor on offense in the first game, Krivas has a chance to change that tonight. That is because Utah Tech’s tallest player starts at 6’8″, giving Krivas a big advantage, as he stands at 7’2″.
The Wildcats scored more than 98.5 points in three of their first four victories last season and have excelled when facing lower-level competition in the past. With Arizona scoring 93 points against a tough Florida team, they should be able to top that offensive performance tonight. You can get Arizona to total over 98.5 points at -120 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
