On a day with a ton of games which came down to the wire, the Oregon Ducks might've put on the best show with an overtime win over Arizona. Many think the Ducks have a bit of a claim to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they can beat the Utah Utes on Saturday night to claim the Pac-12 championship.
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HOW THE OREGON DUCKS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
Dana Altman has done a fantastic job this year with his Ducks. Dylan Ennis transferred to Oregon this season in hopes of being the point guard for this team, but a foot injury ended his season prematurely. Other teams would've collapsed under the pressure of finding a suitable replacement, but the Ducks have persevered instead.
There are four men who have really stepped up on this team, especially offensively. Dillon Brooks, Elgin Cook, Tyler Dorsey and Chris Boucher are all shooting at least 45 percent from the floor, and they're all good for a dozen points per game. No team in America puts as much pressure on you as Oregon does, knowing that it has those four men who can combine for 70 points on any given night.
The Ducks got a little sloppy in the second half against Arizona, blowing what was once a 17-point lead. However, in overtime, they put 18 points on the board in a dominant display. Cook, Brooks, Boucher and Dorsey combined for 66, and if that turns out to be the case again in this game, the U of O will dance as the Pac-12 champs.
HOW THE UTAH UTES CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The Utes really showed everything they had in the last couple minutes of regulation against Cal on Friday. Lorenzo Bonam went the length of the court for a layup at the end of regulation to tie a game which should've ultimately been over. Jakob Poeltl was able to work himself into any position he wanted to be in against one of the most athletic defensive teams in the nation. Brandon Taylor hit a couple huge threes. And then in overtime, Jordan Loveridge, who struggled mightily with his shot all night long, stepped up and hit the free throws to ice things.
The story of this game is going to be efficiency for the Utes. They had a poor first half shooting against Cal, but they ended at 43.1 percent for the game. They're a 49 percent shooting team, tops in the Pac-12. The Oregon defense is going to be there for the taking, particularly if Poeltl can continue his fancy footwork in the paint.
Poeltl though, was nowhere to be found in those two games against the Ducks this year, as he scored just 20 points combined and made a total of just five shots from the field. If he plays like the man who helped the Utes beat Cal on Friday, we'll have a real shot at an upset in Sin City. If he plays like he did against Oregon in the first two meetings when he was non-existent, the Ducks are sure to triumph.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
For our money, the Pac-12 Tournament has been the best of the best here in championship week, and we expect to see yet another thriller that goes down to the wire on Saturday night between two great teams.
Utah has been riding hot with nine straight wins, but the balance the Ducks have should ultimately win the day. If this one comes down to one shot as we think it might, we've got more confidence in a guy like Brooks or Dorsey than we do with any of the Utes, especially with Loveridge now posting two poor shooting games in a row.
The points could end up being really valuable in this one, though this one should be on a knife's edge throughout.
Oregon 73, Utah 71
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