UCLA’s non-conference dominance has turned it into the Pac-12 favorites entering conference play, but the perennially strong Arizona Wildcats won’t go down easily. Arizona figures to be one of its chief contenders and will aim to get off to a strong start in a road matchup against the California Golden Bears.
The Wildcats are nationally ranked but haven’t been perfect in the earlygoing, and must play well on the road to knock off California. The Bears will likely be underdogs but have the capability to hang tough after showing it last time out in a close loss to a ranked Virginia team.
This war on the floor will go down Friday, October 30, 2016, at 11 p.m. ET at Haas Pavilion. The game will be televised live on ESPN2.
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Odds at BookMaker.eu
Arizona is 11-2 straight up and 7-6 against the spread this season. The Wildcats have only played one true road game but did cover in that one. Arizona has been favored nine times this season and has covered in five of those matchups.
California is 9-3 straight up but only 4-8 against the spread. The Bears have only covered in three of nine home games this season and are 2-2 against the spread as the underdog.
Key Stat
59.3. The Cal defense ranks No. 11 in the nation for points allowed with Golden Bears opponents averaging under 60 points per game. The defense faces a big test in No. 18 Arizona this week.
Despite the loss to No. 12 Virginia on December 21, Cal held the Cavaliers to just 56 points. The Golden Bears have held seven of 12 opponents to less than 60 points this season.
The Wildcats offense is averaging 73.5 points a game and Arizona also has a stout defense, allowing just 60.8 points a game. This should be a defensive battle on the floor. Arizona shoots nearly 47 percent from the floor so it will be interesting to see if the Bears can stop the Wildcats from getting easy hoops.
Player to Watch
Lauri Markkanen – The Arizona freshman forward is leading the team this season in scoring and rebounding. He is averaging 16.1 points a game and 7.3 rebounds a game coming into this contest.
Markkanen had 13 points and nine rebounds in Arizona’s 77-46 win over New México on December 20th. He put up a season-high 26 points against CSU Bakersfield in the second game of the season on November 15th and also had a double-double against Northern Colorado on November 21st.
Markkanen is young but he has NBA potential and may not be around very long. California must focus on stopping him as fellow star Allonzo Trier has been out all season due to eligibility concerns, which has made Arizona’s offense less dynamic.
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Arizona may get a boost in this one if it can get back point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright, who has been out all of December with an ankle sprain. He is a key piece and will greatly improve the team’s chances in conference play.
The Wildcats lost two early games to Gonzaga and Butler but have since won five in a row to get back on track. California has lost two of its past four games and is not the same caliber as a team like Arizona.
If this game was in Tucson, the Wildcats would be a heavy favorite. California has a better chance at home, but Arizona is good enough to squeak out with the victory. The spread could give the Bears enough of a cushion to cover even without winning this game.
College Basketball Odds: Arizona 67, California 64
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