Utah Tech vs Abilene Christian Prediction 1/1/2026 Today’s College Basketball Picks

The Utah Tech Trailblazers and the Abilene Christian Wildcats meet Thursday in college basketball action from Moody Coliseum. Here’s a Utah Tech vs Abilene Christian prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Utah Tech vs Abilene Christian pick. We will examine the recent form and player performances for both teams, as well as the recent betting trends and streaks pertaining to this matchup. As we conclude, we will tie it all together with a summary that produces a sensible pick for a favorable betting outcome in this game.

Utah Tech Trailblazers Betting Preview

The Trailblazers posted a 4-4 run over their first eight games this year. The wins in that time came versus South Dakota, Bethesda University, Mississippi Valley State and Nobel. A 3-3 run came next with wins over UC Riverside, Justice and Weber State among losses to Santa Clara, Portland State and Creighton. That would give the Trailblazers a 7-7 run over 14 games.

In the Monday game versus Southern Utah, the Trailblazers had a slim two-point lead by the break. Utah Tech hit a 39-27 run in the second half however, leading to an 80-66 win. Noah Bolanga put up 18 points with eight boards and Madiba Owona had 16 points with four rebounds and three assists. Justin Holt had 14 points with five rebounds and four assists as well.

Abilene Christian Wildcats Betting Preview

Over on the Abilene Christian side, they managed to win seven of their first 10 games this year. The Wildcats took out McMurry, Omaha, Southwestern Adventist, UTSA, Jarvis Christian, Pepperdine and New Mexico State in that time. After losses to Arizona and BYU the Wildcats got back on track with a win over Texas Southern for an 8-5 overall record this year.

Matched up against Texas Southern on December 22, the Wildcats entered the second half with a three-point deficit. Abilene Christian woke up on a 42-32 run from there and took the comeback win 75-68, though. Bradyn Hubbard led the scoring with 22 points and six boards while both Rich Smith (five rebounds; five assists) and Zy Wright (three rebounds) each had 14 points.

Utah Tech Trailblazers @ Abilene Christian Wildcats Betting Trends: January 1, 2026

Why the Abilene Christian Wildcats will win

• Utah Tech has lost 13 of its last 14 night games against the Western Athletic Conference.
• Abilene Christian has won each of its last six games at Moody Coliseum (Abilene) against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Utah Tech has lost the first half in 12 of its last 15 night games against Conference opponents.

Why the Utah Tech Trailblazers will win

• Abilene Christian has lost each of its last three night games against the Western Athletic Conference.
• Utah Tech has won three of its last four games against non-AP-ranked opponents.
• Utah Tech has won the first half in six of its last eight games against non-AP-ranked opponents.

Utah Tech vs Abilene Christian Prediction

I’ll stick with Utah Tech. The Trailblazers had a bit of a slow first half in their last outing versus a struggling Southern Utah team but everything worked out well in the end. Utah Tech shot 44.9 percent from the field in that one with 39 rebounds, 16 team assists and 40 points in the paint but did miss a few free throws (8-of-13 for 61.5 percent). That gives Utah Tech three wins in the last four games and 80 or more points in four of the last five games.

As for Abilene Christian, they took a while to get going in their last game versus a struggling Texas Southern team but everything worked out in the end. The Wildcats ended up shooting 48 percent from the field with a 28-23 rebounding edge and 13 turnovers while getting outscored in the paint 44-34. Abilene Christian can score pretty well this year so I wouldn’t be shocked to see a big total here.

Andrew Jett's Pick: Utah Tech Trailblazers +5