Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs UT Arlington Mavericks Picks and Predictions for Thursday March 12 2026

By: Kim Smith Published 03/12/2026, 01:10 AM ET

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds face the UT Arlington Mavericks in the WAC Tournament Quarterfinal on Thursday, March 12, 2026 at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Tip-off is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET with television coverage on ESPN+. At the time of this writing the odds were not listed for this matchup. Be sure to also check out our free college basketball picks for additional insights on today’s college basketball action.

Thunderbirds Hoping to Find Offensive Rhythm

The Southern Utah Thunderbirds enter this WAC tournament matchup with a 10-21 overall record and a 6-12 mark in conference play. Southern Utah has struggled to maintain consistency recently, recently lost to California Baptist 82-75, recently lost to Utah Valley 92-88, recently won over Utah Tech 81-67, recently lost to Abilene Christian 87-83, and recently lost to Tarleton State 78-74.

Southern Utah averages 76.7 points per game while allowing 79.8 points per contest this season. The Thunderbirds shoot 46% from the field and average 35.7 rebounds along with 14.1 assists per game. Defensively they contribute 4.2 blocks and 5.6 steals per contest.

One of the strengths for Southern Utah has been their scoring ability. Averaging nearly 77 points per game allows them to remain competitive in many matchups, but defensive struggles have often made it difficult to close games.

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Mavericks Relying on Defense and Efficiency

The UT Arlington Mavericks enter this tournament matchup with a 17-13 overall record and a 9-9 record in WAC play. UT Arlington has had solid results recently, recently won over Abilene Christian 64-57, recently won over Tarleton State 65-60, recently lost to California Baptist 68-56, recently lost to Utah Valley 66-54, and recently won over Utah Tech 63-50.

UT Arlington averages 70.2 points per game while allowing just 66.8 points per contest this season. The Mavericks shoot 44% from the field and average 36.9 rebounds along with 12.0 assists per game. Defensively they contribute 3.7 blocks and 7.4 steals per contest.

The Mavericks’ biggest advantage has been their defense. Allowing fewer than 67 points per game gives them the ability to control the pace and limit scoring opportunities for opponents.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs UT Arlington Mavericks Pick

Pick: UT Arlington Mavericks

UT Arlington appears to have the advantage entering this tournament matchup thanks to their defensive consistency. Holding opponents to under 67 points per game gives them the ability to slow down Southern Utah’s offense.

Southern Utah has struggled defensively throughout the season, allowing nearly 80 points per game. That defensive weakness could create opportunities for UT Arlington to control the tempo and build scoring runs.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds vs UT Arlington Mavericks Total Pick

Pick: Under

I expect this matchup to lean toward a slower paced contest. UT Arlington prefers a defensive approach and often keeps games in a lower scoring range.

Because Southern Utah’s offense may struggle against a defense allowing under 67 points per game, I believe the total should trend toward the under.

Final Score Prediction: UT Arlington Mavericks 71, Southern Utah Thunderbirds 65

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