Utah State vs Arizona Prediction 3/22/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Arizona Wildcats and the Utah State Aggies will meet on Sunday evening in an NCAA Tournament second round matchup at Viejas Arena in San Diego, California.

Utah State Aggies Betting Preview

The Utah State Aggies enter Sunday night’s contest with a 29–6 win-loss record, including a 15–5 mark in conference play and a respectable 7–5 record on the road. Utah State has amassed wins over Colorado State, San Diego State, Boise State, Bradley, New Mexico and UC Irvine, while dropping games to UNLV, San Diego State, Nevada and the South Florida Bulls.

More recently, in the Utah State Aggies 73-62 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs one week ago, Utah State guard MJ Collins Jr. tallied 20 points (8 of 10 shooting from the field: 4 of 10 shooting from three-point range), 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal showcasing his ability to lead the Aggies offense.

The Utah State Aggies are averaging 81.8 points (37th in nation) on 49.6 percent shooting from the field (13th in country) and 34.6 percent shooting from three‑point range per game. Defensively, the Aggies are allowing opponents 71 points per contest.

Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. leads the Utah State Aggies averaging 17.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 steal per game. Junior guard Mason Falslev adds 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals per contest. Junior forward Karson Templin contributes 8.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1 block per game.

Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview

The Arizona Wildcats enter Sunday’s contest with a 33–2 win‑loss record, including a 16–2 record in conference play and a robust 9–1 mark on the road. The Wildcats have amassed recent wins over Iowa State, Houston, Baylor, Colorado and the UCF Knights, while losing games to Kansas and the Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Earlier this month, in the Arizona Wildcats 79-74 win over the Houston Cougars, Arizona forward Koa Peat compiled 21 points (7 of 15 shooting from the field: 7 of 11 shooting from the free-throw line), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block illustrating his ability to perform at a high level.

The Arizona Wildcats average 86.3 points (11th in nation) on 50.3 percent shooting from the field (7th in country) and 36.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game. Turning our attention to the defensive side of the basketball, the Wildcats are allowing opponents 68.5 points per contest which ranks 38th in the nation.

Freshman guard Brayden Burries leads the Arizona Wildcats, averaging 15.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals on 49.2 percent shooting from the field per game. Freshman forward Koa Peat averages 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 53.7 percent shooting from the field per contest. Senior guard Jaden Bradley averages 13.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

Why the Utah State Aggies Will Win

• Balanced scoring. Collins Jr., Falslev and Templin have provided consistent offense.

• Quality offense. The Utah State Aggies are averaging 81.8 points (37th in nation) on 49.6 percent shooting from the field (13th in country) and 34.6 percent shooting from three‑point range per game.

Why the Arizona Wildcats Will Win

• Elite offense. The Arizona Wildcats average 86.3 points (11th in nation) on 50.3 percent shooting from the field (7th in country) and 36.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc per game.

• Frontcourt presence. Freshman forward Koa Peat averages 13.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 53.7 percent shooting from the field per contest.

• Momentum. The Arizona Wildcats enter tomorrow’s contest on the heels of a ten-game winning streak.

Utah State Aggies vs. Arizona Wildcats Prediction

In my view, this matchup favors an Arizona team that has superior size, defensive physicality and a clear rebounding edge that creates advantages on both ends of the floor. Utah State’s offense is efficient, but they haven’t faced a frontcourt with Arizona’s combination of length and rim protection. I like the Wildcats to pull away in the second half and comfortably cover the number (11.5). For the reasons just noted, I am backing the Arizona Wildcats to cover 11.5 points in this game.

Hans Geevers's Pick: Arizona -11.5