Neither team boasts a particularly worrisome offense and Butler should topple Utah in a low-scoring final to kick off the College Basketball Crown.
Jeremy Jones • Betting Analyst
Mar 31, 2025 • 13:45 ET • 4 min read
A new college basketball postseason tournament, the College Basketball Crown, begins this afternoon in Las Vegas. It features 16 teams and will tip off with a match between the Utah Utes and the Butler Bulldogs.
Both teams struggled this season in their respective conferences but will enjoy playing some postseason basketball in Vegas. Find out why my Utah vs Butler predictions see a low-scoring game in my college basketball picks on Monday, March 31.
Who will win Utah vs Butler?
Butler is a slight favorite at -110 on the moneyline. The Bulldogs were also the much better team on a neutral site this year, with a 3-2 record compared to 0-3 for Utah. Both teams played Mississippi State on a neutral court. Utah lost 78-73, while Butler won 87-77.
Utah is the better rebounding team and is slightly better on defense. However, Butler is much more efficient and doesn’t commit fouls, which is where Utah relies on a big part of its scoring. I will take Butler to win the opening game of this tournament.
Utah vs Butler prediction
My best bet: Under 156 (-110 at bet365)
I can understand why this total was set as high as it was when you consider the recent defensive performances of these teams. However, when you look at the matchup, this has all the makings of a very low-scoring game. Neither team plays very fast, with the Utah Utes ranking 92nd in KenPom’s adjusted tempo and Butler Bulldogs ranking 166th.
The Utes rank 46th in the country at getting to the free-throw line, but they only shoot 63.9% from the line. That ranks 357th in the country. The Bulldogs are fifth in fouls given, fifth in free-throw attempts allowed, and sixth in percentage of points allowed from free throws.
This means Utah will likely need to do all its scoring from the floor. The Utes shoot very poorly from deep at 32.6% (253rd). Butler forces opponents to shoot only 31.3% from deep (56th). So, it seems like Utah will need to be killers around the rim to get any points on the board.
On the other end, Butler has a very efficient offense but ranks 326th in field-goal attempts and 234th in possessions per game. Utah holds opponents to only 41.9% from the field, which ranks 73rd. Butler will need to rely on drawing fouls and hitting its freebies to find any scoring volume.
With so few threes on either side and poor free-throw shooting in the few attempts we’ll see, this total is way too high. I would expect a score closer to around 140 than 150 or above.
Utah vs Butler same-game parlay (SGP)
Under 156.5
Butler moneyline
I do believe Butler will be able to get to the free-throw line, and even though guard Jahmyl Telfort is sitting out the tournament, his teammates should pick up the slack.
Butler will win this game with a strong defense and won’t allow Utah to get to the line for easy points.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
Utah vs Butler odds
Utah vs Butler live odds
Utah vs Butler opening odds
- Spread: Utah +1 (-108) | Butler -1 (-108)
- Moneyline: Utah -115 | Butler -105
- Over/Under: Over 154.5 (-115) | Under 154.5 (-105)
Utah vs Butler betting trend to know
Utah has hit the Game Total Under in 18 of their last 33 games. Find more college basketball betting trends for Utah vs. Butler.
How to watch Utah vs Butler
Location MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV Date Monday, 3-31-2025 Tip-off 3:00 p.m. ET TV FS1
Utah vs Butler key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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