On Friday night, the No. 8 Stanford Cardinal will visit the 19th-ranked Utah Utes as a conference opponent for one of the last times before Stanford moves to the ACC. The only meeting of ranked D1 women’s college basketball teams on Jan. 12, 2024 has more immediate implications for both teams, though.
Legal North American sportsbooks have slotted the Cardinal as a slight favorite on the road against Utah. The point total on this contest bears some intrigue given the teams’ statistical performances on the season.
Stanford at Utah details
The current iteration of the Pac-12 boasts five ranked teams, four of which have only one loss or fewer so far this season. That number could get smaller on Friday night depending on how this contest goes.
- Tip-off: 8 p.m. ET, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024
- Venue: Jon M. Huntsman Center, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Broadcast:Pac-12 Networks
- Previous matchup: Feb. 25, 2023, at Utah — 84-78 Utes win
- Last 5 games:Stanford WWWWW, Utah WWLWL
- Average points for:Stanford 84.1, Utah 87.5
- Average points against: Stanford 56.6, Utah 57.5
- Utah record: 11-4 overall, 6-0 at home, 1-2 Pac-12
- Stanford record: 14-1 overall, 2-1 on the road, 3-0 Pac-12
Stanford has a strong edge in the all-time series with Utah, winning 31 of 33 meetings. However, that includes just three of the past five games in Salt Lake City. The Cardinal is outscoring the Utes in the series by almost 19 points on average.
Legal North American sportsbooks have Stanford a 2.5-point favorite with a total around 144.5 points. However, there are reasons to cover taking Utah to cover in this contest.
Handicapping Stanford at Utah on Friday
As far as injuries go, there isn’t much to report for Friday. Utah has been without guard Gianna Kneepkens for about a month now, meaning the Utes are getting closer to settling into life without her.
The Cardinal comes into the contest healthy. About the only significant statistical advantage they bring to Salt Lake City with them is their ability to rebound the basketball. Stanford is third in the nation in total rebounds per game and fuels its offense, which scores the 12th-most points per game on average, by virtue of its offensive rebounding.
However, Utah is no slouch offensively. The Utes lead D1 in assists per game, 3-point baskets converted per game, and two-point field goal percentage. Utah is also fourth in the nation in overall shooting percentage and sixth in the country in terms of shooting percentage from 3-point range. Additionally, no one in D1 has attempted more 3-point shots to date.
The Cardinal’s pace is a little higher but there isn’t a drastic difference there. Whether Utah can cover will come down to its ability to keep Stanford from getting second and third chances then doing what it usually does on the offensive end.
If the Utes are shooting well, the over on the total is also in play for this game. That might be something bettors wait to see about, however, choosing to live bet on that market instead.
