The Pac-12 has a bunch of different teams jockeying for positioning from second place all the way through ninth, but it’s the Arizona Wildcats who sit atop the standings. They are poised to wrap up the regular season title soon if they can navigate the last four games successfully.
One of the toughest games remaining on the schedule is a road matchup against the Oregon Ducks. The Ducks would love to be in consideration for the NCAA Tournament but need a strong finish to get some attention. An upset win over Arizona would be a signature win and turn some heads.
The Wildcats don’t want to allow the other conference teams giving chase to have any hope and can go a long way toward clinching the Pac-12 with a win in this game. Even though Arizona has the superior team, the location makes it a tough one. Oregon has a legitimate shot to win this game.
At 10:15 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Saturday, February 24, 2018, at Matthew Knight Arena.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Saturday schedule.
Odds Analysis
Arizona is 21-6 straight up and 10-16-1 against the spread. The Wildcats have covered in five of nine attempts on the road this season. They are just 8-16-1 as the favorite this season. There is a chance Arizona is actually the underdog in this game. It is 2-0 against the spread when given points.
Oregon is 17-10 straight up and 13-13 against the spread. The Ducks are 8-7 against the spread as the home team on the year. They are have gone 4-2 against the spread as the underdog. Oregon has covered in nine of 20 attempts as the favorite.
Last Meeting
The first game between these teams was a fun one, as Arizona used a late run to come away with a 90-83 win at home. The Wildcats had the lead at halftime but Oregon went ahead by a point late in the game. Arizona answered with eight straight points and hit free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
Allonzo Trier led the way for Arizona with 25 points, and the Wildcats shot an impressive 54.3 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three-point range in the victory. Elijah Brown had 25 points for the Ducks in the loss.
Oregon had a good showing on the road and now hopes the change in venues to its home court will flip the script and help it pick up a victory.
Player To Watch
Payton Pritchard —Oregon was a really good team last season and made it to the Final Four but lost a ton of talent to the NBA or graduation. The Ducks are reloading on the fly, and the player with the most significant experience from that team is the sophomore guard.
Pritchard has taken over as the leader of the team, averaging 14.9 points and 4.9 assists per contest. He is shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from three-point range. Pritchard had 12 points, seven assists and four steals in the first matchup but will likely need to score more in this contest if the Ducks have a realistic chance of winning.
Arizona’s defense has been problematic at times this season and Pritchard will aim to take advantage with a big game.
Free NCAA Men’s Basketball ATS Picks
Oregon is not an easy out in this game and it should be close from start to finish. However, the Wildcats have the best player on the floor in DeAndre Ayton and he will be a handful for Oregon down low. Take Arizona to pick up this win to strengthen its grip on the conference title.
The Wildcats began the season slowly but are rounding into form as one of the nation’s most dangerous team as March Madness approaches. Arizona is the choice to both win the game and cover a spread that could be small.
NCAA Men’s Basketball Odds: Arizona 75, Oregon 70
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