Utah vs. Butler Prediction, Odds & Preview: Best College Basketball Crown Picks

The first annual College Basketball Crown tournament kicks off with a Monday afternoon matchup between Utah and Butler. Tipoff from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

The Bulldogs are as high as 1.5-point betting favorites, and our Utah vs. Butler prediction, odds, and preview likes their chances of covering given how intact the team's roster has stayed since the end of the season.

🏀 Utah vs. Butler prediction & picks: College Basketball Crown

Here are my best Utah vs. Butler predictions for the College Basketball Crown; use our parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay:

✅ Against the spread pick: Butler pick 'em (-110 via Caesars) vs. Utah ⭐⭐⭐
🔥 Player prop bet: Pierre Brooks II Under 5.5 rebounds (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎯 Exact score prediction: Butler 78, Utah 75 (+15000 via DraftKings)

👉 Want more picks? Check out our latest college basketball picks and the rest of our March Madness predictions.

✅ Butler to cover the spread: Pick 'em ⭐⭐⭐

Neither team holds much momentum entering this tournament, with each losing five of the schools' final six games. But Butler was at least the more battle-tested bunch, with four of those losses coming against teams that made it to the NCAA Tournament (and won games).

Utah ranks in the bottom 10 in the country in free-throw shooting percentage (63.9%), while Butler ranked fourth in Big East play in that metric. 

The Utes also forced the lowest turnover percentage in Big 12 play, so the Bulldogs' offense should operate efficiently in this game.

With some of our other best sports betting sites as high as Butler -1.5, I'm making this wager at Caesars, where I would just need the Bulldogs to win outright.

📊 Best odds: -110 via Caesars ($10 to win $9.09)

Bet $1, Get Ten 100% Profit Boosts

New users only. Must use promo code. Min. $10 deposit. Max. bonus is ten 100% Profit Boost tokens. Profit Boost tokens expire in 14 days. Void where prohibited. Full terms.    

Claim Boosts

🔥 Player prop bet: Pierre Brooks II Under 5.5 rebounds ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bulldogs forward Pierre Brooks ranked in the top 25 during Big East play in defensive rebounding rate. He's grabbed seven-plus rebounds in three of his last four contests. 

But two of the three games among the previous seven when he stayed Under this projected total were against St. John’s, which ranked 21st in the country with a plus-5.7 rebounding differential.

Utah isn’t on the Red Storm’s level in terms of rebounding, but it does rank 37th among Division I teams in offensive rebounding percentages. Given the sample size of Brooks’ lower rebound totals against more physical teams, I'm making the Under a four-star play.

📊 Best odds: -114 via FanDuel ($10 to win $8.77)

Bet $5, Win $200 in Bonus Bets

New customers only. Min. deposit $5+. Bet $5+ and win $200 in Bonus Bets, if your bet wins (within 72 hours). Bet does not have to win in AZ, CO, KS, NC, or TN.

Claim $200

🎯 Score prediction: Butler 78, Utah 75

Utah is getting a team total O/U of 77.5 points, but it's scored 75 or fewer points in 16 of its last 17 games. With both of these teams getting over two-week layoffs, I'm predicting another lower-scoring game with a final score of Butler 78, Utah 75.

📊 Best odds: +15000 via DraftKings ($10 to win $1500)

Bet $5, Get $200 + $1K Deposit Bonus

Terms and conditions apply.

Claim $200

🤖 Utah vs. Butler AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze college basketball stats and trends before predicting the winner and exact score for Utah vs. Butler. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Utah 76. Butler 71.

🖥️ AI score prediction: Utah 76, Butler 71

• Utah’s offensive firepower: With an average of 75.3 points per game, Utah’s high-scoring offense gives it an edge in a likely high-paced tournament game.
• Butler’s strong defense: Butler has been solid defensively, which will be key for keeping the game close.
• Historical advantage: Butler has won three out of the last four matchups between these teams, showing a trend of success in head-to-head encounters.

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Utah covering the spread (+1.5) and a total of Under 155.5 points. ChatGPT is not a dedicated sports betting model, but it can identify data that college basketball bettors might overlook.

📊 Live Utah vs. Butler odds

Follow the latest live college basketball odds and real-time college basketball scores.

🔢 Utah vs. Butler opening odds

• Spread: Utah -1.5 (-102) | Butler +1.5 (-118)
• Moneyline: Utah -115 | Butler -105
• Over/Under: Over 154.5 (-115) | Under 154.5 (-105)

📺 How to watch Utah vs. Butler: College Basketball Crown

📅 Date: Monday, March 31
🕗 Time: 3 p.m. ET
📍 Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas)
📺 TV: FS1
💻 Streaming: FOX Sports App

💰 March Madness betting odds pages

👑 Best March Madness betting sites

Ready to place your March Madness bets? Check out the best March Madness betting promos from the best March Madness betting sites as determined by our expert team at Sportsbook Review.

• Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
• BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
• bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
• FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
• DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review

(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.

Not intended for use in MA.
Each betting site featured on SBR has been meticulously researched and selected by our team of experts. If you sign up through our links, we may get a commission