Cal Poly vs. Utah Picks and Prediction for Thursday, November 20, 2025
Use Code WWWC Cal Poly Mustangs (2-3) vs. Utah Utes (5-0)
Week 3 of the 2025-26 college basketball season continues Thursday, November 20, with the Cal Poly Mustangs taking on the Utah Utes in the non-conference battle at Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City, UT, and we’ve got you covered with our Cal Poly vs. Utah prediction.
The Mustangs meet the Utes for the first time since 2006, when Utah beat Cal Poly 77-58. The tip-off is set at 9:00 PM ET, so let’s take a closer look at this Cal Poly vs. Utah prediction, one of our NCAAB picks for Thursday night.
Cal Poly is back to losing ways
The Cal Poly Mustangs (2-3; 2-2 ATS; 2-2 O/U) played three games in the opening week, and after a heavy 94-64 loss at USC on opening night, the Mustangs strung together a couple of wins against Pacific Lutheran 101-79 at home and U Seattle 73-71 on the road.
Last week, the Mustangs suffered two road defeats. They lost at Colorado State 93-79 as 18.5-point underdogs and at Montana State 90-82 as 7.5-point underdogs. Sophomore forward Hamad Mousa posted 18 points and three assists against CSU, but he didn’t play against Montana State this past Saturday.
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Sophomore guard Peter Bandelj led the way against the Grizzlies, notching 21 points and two assists. Cal Poly outscored Montana State 46-40 in the paint but gave up 16 fast-break points to the Grizzlies. Bandelj is now tallying 15.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game, while Mousa is averaging 17.8 points and 6.8 boards.
The Mustangs tally 104.8 points per 100 possessions (222nd in the country) and allow 110.3 points in return (248th). They are 65th in the nation in 3-point rate (.466) and 160th in 3-point percentage (33.6%).
Utah has yet to cover the spread
The Utah Utes (5-0; 0-5 ATS; 5-0 O/U) are undefeated through their first five outings in 2025-26, but they haven’t covered the spread thus far, mostly thanks to their shaky defense. Interestingly, the Utes have yet to hit the road this season.
In the opening week, Utah beat San Jose State 84-75 and Weber State 92-89 in overtime. In Week 2, the Utes defeated Holy Cross 87-69 and Sam Houston 85-79. Last Tuesday, Utah outlasted Purdue Fort Wayne 85-77 as a 13.5-point fave.
The Utes went 12-for-29 from downtown against the Mastodons, and junior guard Terrence Brown led the charge with 27 points and four steals. Brown tallies 24.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, while junior forward Keanu Dawes posts 12.8 points and 11.4 rebounds a night.
In Alex Jensen’s first year at the helm, the Utes score 113.3 points per 100 possessions (70th in the country) and surrender 105.2 points in return (125th). Utah is 110th in the nation in 3-point rate (.435) and 122nd in 3-point percentage (35.0%).
Cal Poly vs. Utah Pick
Spread Pick for Cal Poly vs. Utah
- Utah -13 (4 units)
The Utes will have to cover the spread eventually, and the clash against Cal Poly looks like a nice opportunity, given the Mustangs’ defensive shortcomings. Cal Poly allows a ton of shots from beyond the arc (32.6 per game, 360th in the nation). The Mustangs’ defense is 229th in the nation in 3-point percentage (34.7%) and 291st in 2-point percentage (57.4%).
Moreover, the Mustangs turn the ball over on 22.9% of their possessions (331st). Utah doesn’t force a lot of turnovers, but the Utes take good care of the ball, too, and they won’t hesitate to run up and down the floor in this matchup.
Over/Under Pick for Cal Poly vs. Utah
- Over 168.5 (4 units)
The Mustangs play at a furious pace. They register a whopping 77.0 possessions per 40 minutes (6th in the nation). The Utes, who record 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes (101st), won’t mind joining the party, so I expect a proper high-scoring affair.
Each of Utah’s last 10 games overall has gone over the total. Also, the over is 5-0 in Utah’s past five showings at home, and it is 5-2 in Cal Poly’s previous seven outings at any location. The Mustangs have allowed at least 90 points in four of their last six games overall.
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