The No. 14 Arizona Wildcats (22-6, 12-3 Pac-12) will travel to Matthew Knight Arena to challenge the Oregon Ducks (18-10, 8-7 Pac-12) in their home finale. The games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 145.5 points with Oregon opening as a 1.5-point favorite. Tip-off is scheduled for 11:15 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 24, 2018, and it can be seen on ESPN.
Arizona Wildcats at Oregon Ducks Odds Preview
In the Wildcats last contest, they beat the Oregon State Beavers, 75-65. Deandre Ayton was Arizona’s leading scorer with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Arizona dominated every stat category in the game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 36.4 (above their season average of 32.7) and a turnover percentage of 16.3 (worse than their season average of 15.7). For those same stats, Oregon State was 25.7 and 20.4, respectively.
The Ducks come in on a high note after defeating the Arizona State Sun Devils in their last matchup, 75-68. With 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting, Elijah Brown led Oregon in scoring. Oregon dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 30.8 (above their season average of 30.0) and a turnover percentage of 8.7 (better than their season average of 15.4). Arizona State was 15.2 and 11.0, respectively, for those same stats.
Oregon appears to have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball. The Ducks rank 63rd in offensive efficiency, while the Wildcats rank 169th in defensive efficiency. Also, the Wildcats rank 48th in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.281), while the Ducks rank 297th in opponents FTA rate (0.279).
Of Arizona’s 28 games, 14 have finished over the projected point total, while 15 of Oregon’s 26 games have finished under the O/U total. The Wildcats hold the clear advantage straight up (SU) (22-6 vs. 18-10), but the Ducks have been superior against the spread (ATS) (14-13 vs. 11-16-1).
Both teams have had a player heat up over their last five games. For the Wildcats, it’s been Dusan Ristic, who has averaged 14.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, while the Ducks have received great contributions from Payton Pritchard (15.2 points and 6.0 assists).
These teams have already met once this season. In that game, the two teams combined to put up 173 points, well over the projected point total of 149. The Wildcats won 90-83, but were unable to cover as 9-point favorites. Arizona made good use of their 37 trips to the free throw line, converting on 34 of them (91.9 percent). Oregon, meanwhile, was 21-24 (87.5 percent). Allonzo Trier scored a game-high 25 points.
Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon Ducks Prediction
Free Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Arizona, ATS Winner – Arizona, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Wildcats are sixth in the NCAA with 29.3 rebounds allowed per game while the Ducks are 56th with 32.5 rebounds allowed per game.
- Oregon averages 4.6 blocks per game, which ranks 34th in the NCAA. Arizona ranks 55th in blocks allowed per game (2.9).
- Oregon is 9-7 ATS at home, while Arizona is 7-7 ATS on the road.
- The total has gone under in 9 of the Ducks 16 home games, while 7 of the Wildcats 14 road games have gone over.
- Oregon ranks 52nd in three pointers attempted per game (25.2) while Arizona ranks 261st (18.4).
- The Ducks rank 26th in steals allowed per game (5.1) while the Wildcats rank 98th (6.1).
- Oregon averages 15.5 assists per game, which ranks 52nd in the nation. Arizona ranks 103rd in assists allowed per game (12.7).
Betting Trends:
- Oregon is 4-1 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Arizona is 3-2 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
- The Ducks average margin of victory in their last five games has been 9.8, up from 7.6 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Wildcats have scored an average of 76.4 points per game (5.0 below their season average) and allowed an average of 72.4 points per game (0.8 above their season average).
