The North Dakota State Bison (5-5) will try to put an end to the five-game winning streak of Arizona when they travel to McKale Memorial Center to square off with the No. 23 Wildcats (8-3). Arizona opened as a 21-point favorite, while the games Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 141 points. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. ET on Monday, December 18, 2017, and it can be seen on Pac-12 Network.
North Dakota State Bison at Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview
The Bison had no trouble getting past the Valley City State Vikings in their last outing, 101-58. Deng Geu was the games high scorer with 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting. North Dakota State played a nearly flawless game. They had a phenomenal effective field goal percentage of 0.772 (above their season average of 0.536) and an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.1 (above their season average of 20.7). For those same stats, Valley City State was 0.393 and 14.3, respectively.
The last time the Wildcats played, they topped the New Mexico Lobos, 89-73. Arizona’s Deandre Ayton played well, contributing 14 points and 13 rebounds. Arizona played a nearly perfect game. They had a phenomenal free throw rate of 0.320 (above their season average of 0.306) and an effective field goal percentage of 0.730 (above their season average of 0.576). For those same stats, New Mexico recorded marks of 0.210 and 0.484, respectively.
The productive offense of Arizona will clash against the mid-tier defense of North Dakota State. The Wildcats rank 13th in offensive efficiency, while the Bison are 197th in defensive efficiency. The Wildcats should have the edge on that side of the ball.
Of North Dakota State’s 6 games with betting action, three have finished over the O/U total, while 7 of Arizona’s 11 games have finished over the projected point total. The Wildcats come into this game with a substantial advantage in both straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records. They are 8-3 SU and 4-7 ATS, while the Bison are 5-5 SU and 3-3 ATS.
North Dakota State Bison at Arizona Wildcats Prediction
Predictions: SU Winner – Arizona, ATS Winner – North Dakota State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Wildcats average 15.8 assists per game, which ranks 55th in the NCAA. The Bison rank 94th in assists allowed per game (10.4).
- Arizona ranks 11th in rebounds allowed per game (29.9) while North Dakota State ranks 130th (34.6).
- The Bison rank 142nd in three pointers attempted per game (24.1) while the Wildcats rank 234th (18.4).
- Arizona ranks 46th in blocks per game (4.6) while North Dakota State ranks 97th (2.8).
Bettings Trends:
- The Wildcats average margin of victory in their last five games has been 12.6, up from 10.6 for the season.
- During their last five games, the Bison have scored an average of 71.2 points per game (0.6 below their season average) and allowed an average of 69.0 points per game (0.7 above their season average).
