Utah Utes vs VCU Rams Prediction, 3/27/2024 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Utah Utes vs VCU Rams

Date: Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Location: Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Utah (-6)

The Utah Utes (21-14) are headed to Jon M. Huntsman Center on Wednesday where they will attempt to beat the VCU Rams (24-13) in the NIT Quarterfinals. VCU is -6-point underdogs. The total is 146.

The Utah Utes stepped onto the hardwood against Iowa and notched a win by a score of 91-82 in their last contest. Utah ended the game having earned a 46.2% field goal percentage (30 of 65) and knocked down 12 of 31 shots from downtown. From the free throw line, the Utes made 19 of 25 shots for a percentage of 76.0%. When it comes to hauling in boards, they earned 38 with 7 of them being offensive. They also recorded 22 assists in the matchup while forcing the other team into 8 turnovers and getting 6 steals. With regard to the defense, Utah allowed the other team to shoot 48.5% from the floor on 33 of 68 shooting. Iowa totaled 17 assists and had 2 steals in the matchup. Furthermore, Iowa grabbed 32 boards (5 offensive, 27 defensive), but didn't notch a rejection. Iowa ended up going 64.3% at the charity stripe by knocking down 9 of their 14 attempts. They converted 7 of 21 attempts from 3-point range. When talking about personal fouls, the Utes ended up with 12 while Iowa recorded 17 personal fouls.

Gabe Madsen is one player who was a major factor for the game. He walked away from this one shooting 47.4% from the floor and earned 2 assists. He was on the court for 38 minutes and also collected 3 boards. He ended up finishing with 31 points on 9 of 19 shooting.

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Utah will play this game with a mark of 21-14 on the year. They are turning it over 11.5 times per contest and as a unit are committing 15.9 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Utah is snagging 39.0 rebounds per game and has 613 assists this year, which has them ranked 10th in the country in terms of passing the rock. The Utes are connecting on 36.2% on 3-pointers (315 of 871) and 65.5% from the free throw line. They have an average of 78.6 points per outing (60th in the nation) while connecting on 46.8% from the field.

On the defensive end, the Utes are forcing 10.1 turnovers on a nightly basis while drawing 16.7 personal fouls. They are relinquishing 34.0% on shots from downtown while they are 217th in college basketball in points per game allowed (73.0). The Utes defensively are allowing a FG percentage of 42.5% (946 of 2,224) and they concede 36.4 boards per contest as a unit. They are 320th in Division 1 in giving up assists to the opposition with 484 surrendered this year.

In their last game, the VCU Rams walked away with a victory by a final of 70-65 when they played South Florida. The Rams were able to collect 20 defensive boards and 9 offensive rebounds for a total of 29 for the game. They also coughed up the ball 9 times, while getting 5 steals for this game. South Florida was called for 13 fouls for the game which took the Rams to the free throw line for a total of 14 shots. They were able to convert 12 of the free throw attempts for a percentage of 85.7%. Regarding shooting from distance, VCU converted 10 out of their 26 attempts (38.5%). When the final whistle was blown, the Rams finished shooting 24 for 55 from the field which had them shooting 43.6%. The Rams permitted South Florida to bury 25 of their 61 attempts from the field which gave them a percentage of 41.0% for this game. They finished 20.0% from distance by hitting 4 of 20 and finished the game at 11 out of 15 at the free throw line (73.3%). When discussing cleaning the glass, VCU allowed South Florida to collect 35 in total (12 on the offensive glass).

Zeb Jackson ended up being a major contributor for the Rams in the matchup. He recorded 14 points in his 30 minutes of playing time and had 2 dimes in this matchup. He knocked down 5 of 9 in the game for a field goal rate of 55.6%, and tallied 4 rebounds.

VCU has a record of 24-13 so far this season. The Rams are responsible for committing 16.4 personal fouls per game and they go 78.2% from the charity stripe. They are getting an assist 13.7 times per contest (132nd in the nation) and they turn it over 12.1 times per contest. VCU has tallied 2,643 points for the campaign (71.4 per game) and they grab 35.2 boards per contest. As an offensive team, the Rams are shooting 44.3% from the field, which ranks them 200th in college basketball.

The VCU defense surrenders 31.0% on 3-point attempts (247 of 798) and their opponents are converting on 73.7% of their foul shots. They have conceded 11.0 dimes and 32.9 rebounds per contest, which is ranked 35th and 72nd in the country. The Rams on defense are ranked 34th in Division 1 in PPG given up with 66.5. They are able to force 11.1 TO's per game and have let teams shoot 40.6% from the field (23rd in college hoops).

Who will win tonight's NCAA basketball game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take VCU (+6)

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