Grand Canyon vs. Southern Utah & WAC Title Game Odds
December 29, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona; UNITED STATES; GCU guard Jovan Blacksher Jr. (10) dribbles onto the court during a game at Grand Canyon University against the CBU. Ncaa Basketball Gcu Basketball California Baptist in the Grand Canyon
- Southern Utah and Grand Canyon are favorites in the finals of the WAC tournament on Saturday, March 11th
- Grand Canyon is in the finals for the fourth time in five years
- Southern Utah has never qualified for March Madness
Reaching the WAC Tournament Finals is old hat for the Grand Canyon Antelopes (23-11, 13-18 ATS), but it is for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds (22-11, 16-11-2 ATS). whole new experience.
The Antelopes are one step away from going to March Madness for the fourth time in five years. Grand Canyon won the 2021 WAC tournament title in 2021 and received the conference’s automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. However, the Antelopes lost in the finals in both 2019 and 2018. The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In 2001, Southern Utah reached the NCAA tournament for the only time in school history. They did so as champions of the Mid-Continent Conference.
Oddsmakers are on the fence for this game. They listed it as a pick ’em.
Grand Canyon vs. Southern Utah Odds
| team | spread | money line | In total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | CHOOSE | -110 | O151.5 (-110) |
| Southern Utah | CHOOSE | -110 | U 151.5 (-110) |
None of these schools are supposed to be here today. It was top-ranked Sam Houston State, who was expected to be No. 13 in the South region in the scheduled March Madness bracket. Both the Grand Canyon and southern Utah are assigned a +300000 bet line in the March Madness odds.
Tip-Off for this game is scheduled for Saturday, March 11 at 8:30pm ET at Orleans Arena. The game will be broadcast by ESPN2. Grand Canyon was set in the opening odds of the WAC tournament as a +2000 fifth bet option for tournament victory. Southern Utah opened as a +800 third pick in this betting market.
Odds as of March 11th at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Thunderbirds vs Antelope betting trends
Grand Canyon is 6-2 ATS in the last eight games as a betting underdog. But the Antelopes are only 6-10 ATS in their last 16 games.
Southern Utah is 2-1 ATS in its last three games and 4-3 ATS in its last seven games. Three of the last four Wolverines games are over.
Southern Utah hosts Monumental Rally
An unlikely finish propelled the Thunderbirds through the WAC tournament. Southern Utah made a tremendous comeback in the second half, beating second-seeded Utah Valley 89-88 in Friday’s semifinals.
Utah Valley led by eight at halftime. It was 59-36, a 23-point lead for the Wolverines, with 15:42 in the second half. Then the Thunderbirds charged back.
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β SUU Men’s Basketball (@SUUBasketball) March 11, 2023
Guard Tevian Jones completed the unlikely comeback when he hit a 3-pointer and one with 4.9 seconds left for an 89-88 Thunderbirds win.
Jones paced 20 points in southern Utah. Forward Harrison Butler scored 19 points and center Jason Spurgin contributed 15 points. Cameron Healy added 14 points from the bench. Southern Utah is 6-1 SU in their last seven games against Utah Valley.
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Antelope play the role of giant killers
When Grand Canyon won the 2021 WAC tournament title, the Antelopes came into the event number 1. Both losses in the tournament finals saw Grand Canyon finish third.
That season, the Antelopes entered the WAC tournament as No. 5. In the quarterfinals they beat #4 Seattle 84-79. The biggest surprise, however, came. Grand Canyon defeated #1 Sam Houston State 78-75 in Friday’s semifinals.
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β Grand Canyon Men’s Basketball (@GCU_MBB) March 11, 2023
Guard Kobe Knox led the upset path with 21 points. Guard Chance McMillian and Noah Baumann, came on, each contributed 17 points.
Antelope guard Jovan Blacksher Jr., MVP of the 2021 WAC Tournament, was lost to a knee injury earlier this season.
Grand Canyon vs Utah Valley Prediction
Both teams seem to be heating up at the right time of year. The Antelopes have won five straight and seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds have won three in a row and five out of seven. They halted Utah Valley’s five-game winning streak in the semifinals
The two schools have already met once this season. Grand Canyon won 83-78 on March 1 as a 5-point home underdog. That was the latest setback in southern Utah.
Choice: Grand Canyon Antelopes ML (-110).
Robert Duff
sports journalist
As an industry veteran, Bob literally taught the history of sport course at the Elder College. He has worked as a sports columnist for Postmedia, has been a guest on several radio stations, has served as vice president of the Ontario Society For International Hockey Research, and has written 25 books.
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