San Francisco (24-9) vs Utah Valley (25-8)
Game Info: Wednesday, March 19, 2025 at 11:00 pm (The Sobrato Center)
The Line: Betting Odds: San Francisco -7.5 — Over/Under: 146.5
In this article, we will formulate a Utah Valley vs San Francisco prediction for this College Basketball game on Wednesday, March 19 at the War Memorial at the Sobrato Center in San Francisco, CA. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this game in the 1st Round of the NIT. The winner of this game will meet San Jose State or Loyola Chicago in the 2nd Round.
Utah Valley Wolverines Betting Preview
The Utah Valley Wolverines (25-8, 18-12-1 ATS) were in fantastic form late in the regular season as they recorded eight straight victories to enter the WAC tournament as the No. 1 seed, losing just one game in conference play this year. Utah Valley comfortably defeated Utah Tech and Seattle to make it to the conference finals, covering the spread along the way. Grand Canyon, who was the only team to hand the Wolverines a conference loss, also defeated them in the finals, so Utah Valley was left emptyhanded.
Utah Valley is averaging 76.2 PPG (119th) and is allowing 68.0 PPG (61st). The Wolverines are getting 38.2 RPG (56th) and dish out 15.8 APG (64th). Dominick Nelson is the team’s top performer with 14.7 PPG and 5.2 RPG. Tanner Toolson has 13.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 1.1 SPG, while Carter Welling contributes 12.9 PPG, a team-high 6.1 RPG, and a team-high 1.8 BPG.
San Francisco Dons Betting Preview
The San Francisco Dons (24-9, 17-14-1 ATS) were also playing well late in the season as they secured eight wins in ten games to clinch the No. 3 seed for the WCC tournament. Both of those two defeats came to Gonzaga, who not only beat San Francisco for the third time this year in the semifinals of the conference tournament but also won the title at the end. In less than a month, the Dons lost three times to the Zags.
San Francisco averages 75.9 PPG (125th) and allows 68.9 PPG (82nd). The Dons are 210th in rebounds (35.2) and 189th in assists (13.8). Malik Thomas leads the team with 19.3 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.1 APG, and a team-high 1.7 SPG. Marcus Williams follows him with 15.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, a team-high 4.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG, while Tyrone Riley IV chips in 9.6 PPG, a team-high 5.9 RPG, and 1.2 SPG.
Why Utah Valley will beat San Francisco
- Utah Valley has won 20 of its last 22 games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- San Francisco has lost three of its last four night games against the Western Athletic Conference.
- San Francisco has lost the first half in three of its last four night games against the Western Athletic Conference.
Why San Francisco will beat Utah Valley
- San Francisco has won each of its last 20 games at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center against non-AP-ranked opponents.
- Utah Valley has lost nine of its last 12 road games against non-conference opponents.
- Utah Valley has lost the first half in seven of its last eight games against the West Coast Conference.
Total Points Facts
- Nine of San Francisco’s last 10 games against non-conference opponents have produced a total of 146 or fewer points.
- Each of Utah Valley’s last five road games against non-conference opponents has produced a total of 140 or fewer points.
Matchup/League Facts
- San Francisco ranks T27th among Division 1 teams for opponent blocks per game this season (2.5).
- San Francisco ranks 40th among Division 1 teams for opponent assist-to-turnover ratio this season (0.89).
- Utah Valley ranks 32nd among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goal attempts per game this season (19.2).
- Utah Valley ranks 43rd among Division 1 teams for rebounds per game this season (38.2).
Utah Valley vs San Francisco Prediction
These teams have met three times so far and San Francisco leads the series 2-1, but the last time they played was in 2018. I like the Dons better in this game, especially as they play at home, where they are 16-1 this season. However, without the second-best scorer Marcus Williams, I think the Dons will struggle offensively from time to time. After all, Utah Valley has a solid defense, the same as San Francisco, so I don’t expect a classic shootout and a high-scoring affair on Wednesday. I am backing these rivals to combine for no more than 145 points, therefore, I am going with Under.