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Utah Valley vs. UAB Predictions, Odds & Picks: Mid-Major Battle Set for NIT Semifinal

Philip Wood

Last Updated: March 28, 2023 3:27 PM EDT • 4 min 18 sec read.

Head coach Andy Kennedy of the UAB Blazers reacts as we look at our Utah Valley vs. UAB predictions
Head coach Andy Kennedy of the UAB Blazers reacts against the Houston Cougars during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images via AFP.

The Utah Valley Wolverines and UAB Blazers face off in the NIT semifinal on Monday. Here is our best Utah Valley vs. UAB prediction based on the top NCAAB odds.

Much like the NCAA Tournament, the NIT has been chaotic. But perhaps nothing has been more surprising than the Wolverines' run to the national semifinals. They had to take out the second-seeded New Mexico Lobos, then the third-seeded Colorado Buffaloes to get to the quarterfinals. That’s where they played (and won) their first nationally-televised game in program history against the Cincinnati Bearcats.

Meanwhile, the Blazers had some fortunate matchups in the early rounds. They demolished the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, then took down the Morehead State Eagles, who had defeated the top-seeded Clemson Tigers in the first round. Then, they took care of the SEC’s Vanderbilt Commodores in the quarterfinals to advance to Las Vegas.

Here is our best Utah Valley vs. UAB prediction (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Utah Valley vs. UAB odds

Utah Valley vs. UAB prediction

UAB -3 (-110 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wolverines’ magical run ends here. Because they’re not in the NCAA Tournament, very little attention has been paid to their incredible run. They’ve been underdogs in each of their first three games, and they had to win two true road games to get here. They have scored at least 74 points in each NIT game, and they have held each of their opponents under 70.

However, the Blazers are a bad matchup for the Wolverines. They scored 81.1 points per game, while giving up just 59.3 per contest. In the NIT, they have held two of their opponents to 59 points, while the Golden Eagles scored 60. They won a true road game at Vanderbilt behind a 21-point performance from Jordan Walker.

Walker is averaging 22.5 points per game this season, and he has been nearly impossible to stop no matter who he is playing. But he’s not the only Blazer who can score. Eric Gaines and KJ Buffen are also averaging double figures this season. Trey Jemison has scored at least 11 points in every NIT game as well.

You could take a look at the Over, but the number is currently at 151.5. That number seems quite high, especially considering how well these two defenses have been playing. The Blazers have too many scorers for the Wolverines to stop, and they should get into the mid-70s. There is a very real chance the Wolverines don’t score 60.

Utah Valley vs. UAB best odds

BetMGM (-4.5, -105)

DraftKingsFanDuelBetMGMCaesarsPointsBet
-4.5-4.5-4.5-4.5-4.5
-110-110-105-110-110

The Blazers should win this one running away, and we'd take them up to -4.5. With that in mind, jump on the best price here through BetMGM before the line moves higher.

Utah Valley vs. UAB odds analysis

The Blazers opened as 1.5-point favorites, and they have seen all of the action since with 70% of bettors backing the Blazers to cover. While there's generally a benefit to fading the public, there have been some games of late when they were sharper than the books, such as the Miami Hurricanes against the Houston Cougars and the Kansas State Wildcats against the Michigan State Spartans in the NCAA Tournament. This feels like one of those situations.

As for the total, the number opened at 151.5, and it's stayed there. As of Tuesday afternoon, 51% of bettors are backing the Over. With such little support in either direction, it’s unlikely this number moves at all.

Utah Valley vs. UAB game info

  • Date: Tuesday, March 28, 9:30 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN2
  • Location: Orleans Arena, Las Vegas, NV

Utah Valley vs. UAB pick made 03/27/2023 at 10:41 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Philip Wood
Phil is a Sports Betting Analyst for Sportsbook Review and BettingPros.com, specializing in NFL and college football. He previously covered college football and college basketball for CanesInsight.com, where he also hosted the College Football Pick 'Em podcast. Phil is always looking for value, especially on lines that just seem too good to be true. His belief is if a line doesn't make sense, just assume that Vegas knows something you don't. An alumnus of The U, Phil always holds out hope that the next head coach will be the one who turns the football program around. Some would call him a frontrunner for his love of the Yankees and the Celtics, but he's also a diehard Detroit Lions fan and will never forgive the refs for the blown pass interference call against the Cowboys in 2015.