The Stanford Cardinal (17-14, 11-7 Pac-12) and the California Golden Bears (8-23, 2-16 Pac-12) go head-to-head in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. Stanford opened as a 9.5-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 143 points. Action begins at 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, and it can be seen on Pac-12 Network.
California Golden Bears vs. Stanford Cardinal ATS Preview
The Golden Bears were beaten by the No. 19 Arizona Wildcats in their last outing, 66-54. With 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting, Justice Sueing led California in scoring. Arizona did an excellent job of making free throws (23-26; 88.5 percent). California, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (16.5 vs. 16.6).
In the Cardinal’s last game, they defeated the Arizona State Sun Devils, 84-83. Stanford rallied around Reid Travis, who was the game’s high scorer with 24 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Stanford played a nearly perfect game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 38.7 (above their season average of 32.3) and a free throw rate of 0.396 (above their season average of 0.285). For those same stats, Arizona State was 10.8 and 0.234, respectively.
The physical Stanford offense seems poised to dominate from the foul line. The Cardinal currently rank 29th in the nation with a free throw attempt (FTA) rate of 0.288, while California ranks 292nd in FTA rate allowed (0.277).
Of California’s 28 games that accepted bets, 16 have finished under the projected point total, while 17 of Stanford’s 31 games have finished under the O/U total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Cardinal have a clear advantage. They are 17-14 SU and 15-15-1 ATS, while the Golden Bears are 8-23 SU and 11-17 ATS.
Travis has been playing at a high level over the last five games for Stanford, averaging 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game.
These two teams have met twice already this year, each winning once. Daejon Davis scored a game-high 22 points in the most recent game, in which the Cardinal defeated the Golden Bears 77-73 but were not able to cover as 5-point favorites. He also had seven rebounds and five assists. The two teams combined to put up 150 points, which was 8.5 points above the projected point total of 141.5 points. The Cardinal dominated nearly every stat category in the game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.328 and an effective field goal percentage of 0.500. The Golden Bears recorded marks of 0.257 and 0.393, respectively, for those same stats.
California Golden Bears vs. Stanford Cardinal Prediction
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Stanford, ATS Winner – Stanford, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Cardinal rank 48th in rebounds per game (38.2) while the Golden Bears rank 142nd (35.5).
- Stanford ranks 277th in three pointers attempted per game (17.8) while California ranks 298th (15.9).
- California ranks 24th in blocks per game (4.8) while Stanford ranks 200th in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
- The Cardinal rank 139th in assists per game (13.6) while the Golden Bears rank 283rd (10.0).
- California averages 6.9 steals per game, which ranks 68th in the NCAA. Stanford ranks 177th in steals allowed per game (6.8).
Bettings Trends:
- Stanford is 3-2 ATS with 4 overs and 1 under in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, California is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs.
- The Cardinal’s average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.0, up from 0.9 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Golden Bears have scored an average of 61.4 points per game (6.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 74.6 points per game (3.0 below their season average).
