This Saturday night Pac-12 matchup will be a battle of two 11-3 teams when the Utah Utes visit the Arizona Wildcats. Utah has lost 12 straight games in Tucson, dating back to 1986. It is time to continue our college basketball odds series with a Utah-Arizona prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Utah started their Arizona road trip on a sour note when they lost 82-70 to Arizona State as 6.5-point favorites. “When you look at the history, it's been a long, long, long, long, long time since we've won at Arizona, and it's been since 2019 that we've won at Arizona State. So, this has been a difficult road trip for the Utes historically, and we're going to have to play well,” Utah coach Craig Smith told the media before leaving. Utah had an eight-game winning streak before the loss to Arizona State. Branden Carlson led the way in the loss, scoring 19 points and eight rebounds. However, their defense was a concern, allowing Arizona State to shoot 50%.

Arizona started the year on an eight-game winning streak, including wins over Duke, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. The wins helped Arizona reach No.1 in the nation. However, a loss to No.3 Purdue kickstarted a run of three losses in five games, which dropped them down the rankings. They got back on track against Colorado with a 47-point victory, paced by four players scoring double-digits, including Pelle Larsson and Caleb Love. The Wildcats have won the last three games at home against Utah by an average of 20 points, with the most recent victory coming last season, 88-62.

Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

College Basketball Odds: Utah-Arizona Odds

Utah: +11 (-110)

Moneyline: (+420)

Arizona: -11 (-110)

Moneyline: (-580)

Over: 165.5 (-112)

Under: 165.5 (-108)

How to Watch Utah vs. Arizona 

Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT

TV: ESPN 2

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why Utah Will Cover The Spread

Don't let the Arizona State result distract you from Utah being on a great run. Utah won eight straight games, covering five. The Utes suffered a 12-point loss as 6.5-point favorites against Arizona State, but they may be disrespected against Arizona. It's easy to see them not beating Arizona on the road for 12 straight and assume Arizona will walk over them, but this could be a different story.

Utah is above average on both ends of the court. They rank 55th in the country with 80.9 points per game and are efficient with a 48.3 field goal and 38.4 three-point percentage. They also dominate the offensive boards, ranking 48th in the nation with 36.8 per game. Their defense isn't as stingy, but allowing 70.2 points per game when you're scoring 80+ is enough to have an 11-3 record.

Why Arizona Will Cover The Spread

Arizona is a battle-tested team, as they have the highest-rated strength of schedule. The only team more impressive may be Purdue, who has the second-highest rating and a better record at 13-1. During Utah's eight-game winning streak, they were the favorites in every game except one. Their toughest test this season was against Houston on a neutral site, when they lost by ten and failed to cover.

Arizona is the second-best offense in the country, averaging 92.6 points per game. They rank in the top 20 for points per game, field goal percentage, and offensive rebounds. Utah's defense is good enough, but they haven't faced a team with firepower like Arizona.

Utah has been lucky their poor free-throw shooting hasn't gotten them into trouble. They are 268th in Division I with a 68.6% mark. On the other side, they are one of the luckiest teams in the nation with their opponent's free throw shooting. Utah's opponents are shooting 63.7%, the sixth-worst in the country. Arizona won't give them that kind of leeway, as they shoot 73.6% from the charity stripe.

Final Utah-Arizona Prediction & Pick

As outlined earlier, Utah deserves their respect. It isn't easy to win eight consecutive games, no matter who you're playing against. However, their schedule in that stretch wasn't the best. The wins came at home except for a neutral site victory over Hawaii, and Utah was never an underdog. When they went on the road to Arizona State, Utah struggled as a cohesive unit and lost outright as 6.5-point favorites. Arizona State is a good Pac-12 team, but they are nowhere near Arizona's caliber.

It's hard to consider prior history as there is a constant overhaul of teams in college sports. However, a 12-game losing streak at a school puts immense pressure on the team. Utah has benefitted from a softer schedule and poor fundamental play from their opponents with the previously-mentioned free throw shooting luck. Arizona is better than any team they have faced this season and will make a point to bring the Utes back down to earth. This game may show that Utah isn't as good as people think.

Final Utah-Arizona Prediction & Pick: Arizona -11 (-110)