The Utah Utes take on the Cincinnati Bearcats in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tip-off is set for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Cincinnati is favored by 11.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -780. The total is set at 141.5 points.
Here’s my Utah vs. Cincinnati predictions and college basketball picks for February 15, 2026.
Utah vs Cincinnati Prediction
My Pick: Cincinnati -11.5
My Utah vs Cincinnati best bet is on the Bearcats to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Utah vs. Cincinnati Odds
| Utah Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+11.5 -110 | 141.5 -115 / -105 | +530 |
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-11.5 -110 | 141.5 -115 / -105 | -780 |
- Utah vs Cincinnati spread: Cincinnati -11.5
- Utah vs Cincinnati over/under: 141.5 points
- Utah vs Cincinnati moneyline: Utah +530, Cincinnati -780
Utah vs Cincinnati College Basketball Betting Preview
Utah Basketball
In what has been a very troubling campaign thus far, Utah heads into this matchup with a 9-15 overall record. The Utes have won just won of their first 12 conference games, further casting a shadow onto the decision to join the Big 12.
For a Utah program that hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament in over a decade, head coach Alex Jensen was brought in to take over the reins for a team he knows all too well, having played for the Utes himself in the mid-1990s.
In his first season at the helm, it's surely been an up-hill battle for the first-time head coach.
Terrence Brown is having a phenomenal first year in Utah after having spent two seasons with Fairleigh Dickinson. The 6-foot-3 guard is posting just shy of 21 points per game this season, making him a top-20 scorer nationally.
Don McHenry plays alongside Brown in Utah’s backcourt, and serves as the engine that operates Jensen’s offense. Like Brown, McHenry is a great scorer, posting over 17 points per game.
In the Utes’ frontcourt, Keanu Dawes is making some sizable contributions on the offensive end of the floor, posting 12 points per game, along with nine rebounds.
While Utah’s experienced core is certainly producing offensively, the team still ranks outside the top 90 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, which can largely be attributed to a major turnover problem.
There's no doubt that Jensen’s bunch has sizable potential scoring, but on the other end of the floor, the Utes are dreadful, allowing over 81 points per game.
Per Haslametrics, Utah ranks 202nd in the country in defensive efficiency. While the Big 12 has the most difficult schedule out of any conference, it's tough to excuse that level of defensive incompetence.
Cincinnati Basketball
Cincinnati enters Sunday’s Big 12 matchup with a 13-12 overall record, having won just five of its first 12 conference games.
However, the Bearcats have some slight momentum heading into this matchup.
While Cincinnati has mainly struggled in conference play, the Bearcats do have a couple of big wins on its tournament resume, namely its upset victory over then second-ranked Iowa State. The nine-point win over Iowa State marked the first time Cincinnati knocked off a top-two team in the country since 1967.
While defeating Iowa State should carry some weight for the NCAA Tournament committee, Cincinnati has far more work to do if it's to remain on the bubble and hold out hope for an at-large bid. In Wes Miller’s fifth season at the helm, Cincinnati appears to be headed towards its third NIT.
Known more for its defensive prowess, Cincinnati has been miserable on the offensive end of the floor, ranking outside the top 170 in the country in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Baba Miller leads the way for a Cincinnati offense scoring 72 points per game. The Spaniard is posting just shy of 14 points per game this season, along with 10.5 rebounds. Baba is impeccable on the glass with his rebound figures ranking 11th nationally. He's also converting on over 50% of his field goal attempts.
Cincinnati’s backcourt has been much improved over the last couple weeks, with Day Day Thomas and Jizzle James both posting double-figure scoring efforts. Both of the Bearcats' starting guards are posting poor field goal percentages, though.
The Bearcats' guard play has been rather inconsistent offensively, as Miller is praised far more for his intricate defensive schematics. Behind the defensive efforts of Sencire Harris and the Bearcats' frontcourt, Cincinnati ranks 10th in the country in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
Utah vs. Cincinnati Betting Analysis
This matchup features two teams who very likely won't make it to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bearcats definitely have far more fight left in them and have proven several times this season that they can rise to the occasion when it counts.
Cincinnati heads into this matchup with some momentum, having won consecutive games, and it has the perfect opportunity on its home floor to roll over a mediocre Utah team prior to next week’s road stint versus Kansas and Texas Tech.
I'll be backing the Bearcats to cover the spread in a dominant home victory.
My Pick: Cincinnati -11.5
