Washington State has struggled in conference play but hopes the home crowd can help it pull off a big-time upset. Even with the favorable venue, the Cougars will still be underdogs against an Arizona team which has proven to be one of the best in the country.
At 9 p.m. ET, tune into FS1 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Thursday, February 16, 2017, at the Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum in Pullman, Washington.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Washington State is 11-14 straight up and 11-11 against the spread. The Cougars have played in 11 home games this season but have only covered in four of them. Washington State is 9-6 against the spread as an underdog and will be getting points once again in this one.
Arizona is 23-3 straight up and 12-13-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have played in seven true road games this season and have been fantastic, covering in six of them. Arizona is only 8-10-1 against the spread as the favorite this year and will aim to improve on that mark.
Last Meeting
Arizona didn’t have much trouble in the first matchup, cruising to a 79-62 victory. Allonzo Trier had 17 points in his first home game of the season after missing most of the season because of a suspension for using a performance-enhancing drug.
Trier has gotten more playing time under his belt and has fit in well since then, averaging 13.7 points and 4.4 rebounds on the season. Trier has given the Wildcats another big threat on the offensive end of the court and has made the program a national championship contender.
Washington State was within two points with 12 minutes remaining in the second half of the first matchup this year but Arizona went on a big run to end the game. The Wildcats have much more talent and have the easier ability to go on more runs.
The Cougars must be able to control the pace to have a shot at keeping this one close, since a track meet would certainly benefit the superior Arizona roster.
Player to Watch
Josh Hawkinson -- The Cougars don’t have as good of a team as Arizona, but hopes to get some big performances from their stars. Hawkinson is chief among them.
He is averaging 15.7 points and 10.1 rebounds on the season, both team highs. He is shooting 51.3 percent from the field and will aim to have a presence down low.
The Cougars want to play a halfcourt game, and getting Hawkinson involved in the post would be a big part in that strategy. He had 31 points and 10 rebounds in the team’s last win, coming over Arizona State, but hasn’t scored enough since then and the team has lost four straight.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Arizona, Oregon and UCLA are clearly the best three teams in the Pac-12, and the race for supremacy seems to be coming down to the wire. The Wildcats are in the driver’s seat and have two winnable games this weekend in Washington.
The game with the Cougars won’t be easy, as Washington State is disciplined and can play well at home. However, Arizona is the much better team and playing at a high level.
The Wildcats should win, but check out the spread. The Cougars will keep this one closer than the first result in Tucson.
College Basketball Odds: Arizona 71, Washington State 63
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