Utah has been one of the most incredible stories of the season as their head coach, Lynne Roberts, left for the WNBA just four games into the year. Longtime assistant Gavin Petersen took over for the Utes and led them to a respectable fourth-place finish in the Big 12, but they'll face Indiana in the first round, who is a battle-tested Big Ten opponent. The No. 9 seed Hoosiers are looking to play spoiler in what could be a feel-good story for Petersen and the No. 8 Utah Utes.
How to watch Indiana vs. Utah
- Date: Friday, March 21
- Time: 1:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN2
- Streaming: ESPN App or Fubo TV
- Indiana record: 19-12
- Utah record: 22-8
Indiana vs. Utah odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline
- Indiana -142
- Utah +116
Spread
- Indiana -2.5 (-106)
- Utah +2.5 (-114)
Total
- 138.5 (over -110/under -110)
Indiana injury report
- N/A
Utah injury report
- N/A
Indiana and Utah series history
- Indiana all-time record vs. Utah: 0-0
Indiana vs. Utah prediction
This should be a tightly contested matchup from the opening tip. Both teams are well-balanced and heavily experienced, as Indiana and Utah have made each of the last five and four NCAA Tournaments, respectively.
While Indiana has made deeper March Madness runs in the last few years, Utah has more star power in Gianna Kneepkens, who is averaging 19.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Her sidekick, Maya Toure, is also contributing 13.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per contest, so this dynamic duo of wing players may be too much for the Hoosiers to handle.
Utah has only beaten one nationally ranked opponent this year, whereas the Hoosiers have taken down four, but the Utes have a bit of magic on their side. March is all about beating the odds and discovering great stories through this game, and a 10-year assistant coach being thrust into the head coaching role mid-season and leading his team to an NCAA Tournament victory is as good as it gets.