College Hoops Best Bet (2/17/25)

Author: Dylan Lieck | February 17, 2025 | 8:38 P.M. CST

Overall Record: 44-21 (67.7%)

Best Bet: Utah -117 (1H) vs. K-State

We’re going to back the Utah Utes in this spot. Early in the year I thought Utah had a shot to be a decent team, especially with an underrated home court advantage in a conference where they would have multiple opportunities for Q1 wins. However, the Utes really struggled early on in conference play. Lately they’ve been playing a little better, and they sit 6-8 in conference play. The Utes also got a huge home win Saturday over Kansas; they won outright as a 6.5 point dog.

K-State had about as bad of a start to the season as possible, but 4 consecutive Q1 wins over their last 5 games put the Wildcats back in the NCAA tournament picture. However, they were absolutely beat down by BYU on the road Saturday. I really like fading teams in that type of spot. It’s a team that has not been good all year, who got hot for a stretch and went on a win streak, but had that streak end. Those teams usually had confidence playing a big role in their run, so when they get blown out, they often have trouble responding.

Additionally, this K-State has got off to some horrible starts. They were down 17-0 to start a game a few weeks back. They trailed huge on the road at BYU on Saturday. Meanwhile, Utah has a big home court advantage. They are 13-3 at home this season, and they tend to do so by getting off to good starts. We saw it against Kansas their last time out. Let’s back the home team in the first half on the moneyline. Utes -117.

Official Pick: Utah -117 (1H)

Play Rating: 2-Star