Colorado vs Utah Odds & Pick: Betting Value on Utes

A pair of middling Pac-12 teams are set to match up Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City. Both Colorado and Utah have shown flashes of brilliance this season, but they've also been vulnerable.

What these teams have in common is that they both have a legitimate home-court advantage. Obviously, that only pertains to one team in this matchup, but the Buffs sure know how to handle a rowdy crowd.

Let's dive into the college basketball odds for Colorado vs. Utah and make a pick for Saturday's Pac-12 clash.

Coming into this matchup at 6-4 in the Pac-12, the Buffs are a real threat to win the league. Usually we see a clear juggernaut in this conference, but the standings are wide open.

Arizona is clearly the top team, but it's fallen a few times, keeping the Buffs within striking distance.

Colorado is led by KJ Simpson, who averages just under 20 points per game. He'll have to be the X-factor in the backcourt for this Colorado bunch. If Simpson is off or is unable to make it happen off the dribble, consider the Buffs road kill.

Down low, Tristan da Silva and Eddie Lampkin Jr. are an above-average frontcourt duo, but I believe Utah's length will really mitigate them.

Utah had a rough go in the Northwest. It took the quest up to Pullman and Seattle to take on both Washington schools and left without a win.

At 5-5 in the conference, the Utes are in contention, but it would really lose ground with a loss here.

Utah's biggest strength is its length. The Utes will need to lean into this and out-physical the visiting Buffaloes, who will have an advantage in the backcourt.

Besides the length advantage, Utah will have the home crowd on its side. It's 5-0 at home this season and will surely look to keep that trend alive.

It's early February, but it seems to me that Utah has its backs against the wall. The Utes aren't out of it, but I don't see a world in which they win the Pac-12, so they'll need to get into the Big Dance as an at-large.

They're clinging on by a hair as it stands and will be out of the picture with a home loss on Saturday.

Situationally, this favors Utah — two straight losses and returning to its home court, which it's yet to lose a conference game at.

Scheme-wise, it's a toss-up. Both sides have paths to success, and it'll come down to execution.

Since these two match up well on paper, the edge lies with the home team.

Pick: Utah -2.5