Pac-12 foes will battle when the Oregon Ducks (10-4, 0-1 Pac-12) go head-to-head against the Colorado Buffaloes (8-5, 0-1 Pac-12) at Matthew Knight Arena. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 145.5 points with Oregon opening as an 11.5-point favorite. Action begins at 10 p.m. ET on Sunday, December 31, 2017, and it can be seen on Pac-12 Network.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Oregon Ducks Free Preview
The last time the Buffaloes played, they lost big to the Oregon State Beavers, 76-57. With 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, Tyler Bey was Colorado’s leading scorer. Oregon State had a better free throw rate (0.259 vs. 0.172). Colorado, on the other hand, held the Beavers to an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.9 (below their season average of 34.3).
The Ducks are hoping for a better outcome after their 66-56 loss to the Utah Runnin’ Utes in their last contest. Troy Brown led Oregon in scoring with 16 points on 6-for-11 shooting. Utah had a turnover percentage of 4.6 (better than their season average of 16.9). Oregon, meanwhile, had a better effective field goal percentage (0.522 vs. 0.500).
The prolific offense of Oregon (43rd in the NCAA with an offensive efficiency of 115.0) will square off against the mid-tier defense of Colorado (181st in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 102.1). The Ducks figure to have the advantage on that side of the ball.
Of Colorado’s 13 games, seven have finished over the O/U total, while 7 of Oregon’s 12 games have finished over the O/U total. The Ducks have the better straight up (SU) record (10-4 vs. 8-5), but the Buffaloes have been superior against the spread (ATS) (5-8 vs. 5-8).
Brown has been on fire over the last five games for Oregon, averaging 11.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.4 steals per game.
This is the first time these teams will meet this year, after splitting two games last season. The Ducks won the last matchup 101-73. The Ducks dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had an absurd offensive rebounding percentage of 37.0 and a great free throw rate of 0.288. The Buffaloes recorded marks of 20.0 and 0.200, respectively, for those same stats.
Colorado Buffaloes vs. Oregon Ducks Odds Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Oregon, ATS Winner – Colorado, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The Ducks are 19th in the nation with 10.2 assists allowed per game while the Buffaloes are 57th with 11.8 assists allowed per game.
- Oregon averages 6.0 steals per game, which ranks 131st in the NCAA. Colorado ranks 144th in steals allowed per game (7.1).
- Colorado is 1-6 ATS on the road, while Oregon is 4-5 ATS at home.
- The total has gone over in 4 of the Buffaloes 7 road games, while 5 of the Ducks 9 home games have gone over.
- Oregon ranks 15th in blocks per game (6.0) while Colorado ranks 125th (3.1).
- The Ducks rank 51st in three pointers attempted per game (25.8) while the Buffaloes rank 149th in three pointers allowed per game (22.5).
- Oregon ranks 37th in rebounds allowed per game (31.5) while Colorado ranks 101st (34.2).
Bettings Trends:
- Oregon is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, Colorado is 1-4 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Ducks average margin of victory in their last five games has been 5.6, down from 12.7 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Buffaloes have scored an average of 74.0 points per game (1.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 84.8 points per game (11.3 above their season average).
