The week is already off to a rousing start in the Pac-12 with Oregon’s two-point win at Oregon State and Stanford’s stunning victory over previously undefeated Southern California.
Things will be heating up on Thursday with No. 3 UCLA, No. 5 USC and No. 6 Arizona all playing at home while Saturday’s slate features six games.
However, with the way COVID-19 protocols have wreaked havoc with Pac-12 schedules, the conference will be holding its breath that all those games go on as scheduled, especially with Thursday’s Utah-Arizona State matchup postponed.
UCLA (+1600) and Arizona (+2000) have the best odds to win the national championship among Pac-12 teams. USC’s odds fell to +4500.
Here’s a look at the top games to watch with some information for those who bet online.
Pac-12 Conference Rundown Guide
California Bears at Washington Huskies
Date, time, TV: Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
California is 9-2 in its last 11 games against the college basketball spreads.
The total has gone under in six of the last eight games for Cal and in seven of the last 10 games between the Bears and Huskies. Washington has covered in six of the last nine games against Cal.
The Bears (9-7, 2-3 in the Pac-12) have lost their last seven road games while Washington has covered just once in its last seven home games.
Cal leading scorer Andre Kelly averaged 17.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in games against nationally ranked Southern California and UCLA while Jordan Shepherd has scored in double figures in each of his last 10 games
Terrell Brown Jr., Washington’s top scorer and the leading scorer in the Pac-12 Conference, scored his 1,500th career point in his 100th career game the last time out. He had eight assists and no turnovers in the win over Utah, proving he is more than just a scorer for the Huskies (6-7, 1-2).
Stanford Cardinal at Washington State Cougars
Date, time, TV: Thursday, 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU
Stanford (9-4, 2-1) has won eight straight games against Washington State (9-6, 2-2) before the host Cougars won when listed by the Las Vegas odds as seven-point underdogs in the most recent meeting on Feb. 20, 2021.
Five of the last six Washington State games have gone under the total. The Cougars have dropped three of their last four home contests.
Washington State’s Michael Flowers has more assists than turnovers in each of his last seven games.
Michael O’Connell, who leads Stanford with 55 assists, is the only player to start all 13 games for a Stanford team that handed USC its first loss on Tuesday. The Cardinal will be looking for their first road win of the season.
Oregon Ducks at UCLA Bruins
Date, time, TV: Thursday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Each of the last six games between Oregon and UCLA has gone over the total. The teams have split those six contests with Oregon winning the last two. Five of those six games were decided by fewer than 10 points.
Eight of Oregon’s last nine games have gone over the total but the Ducks (9-6, 2-2) are just 3-6 in those nine contests.
Six of the last seven games for No. 3 UCLA (10-1, 2-0) have gone under the total.
Oregon’s N’Faly Dante leads the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (69.2) but he is only attempting five shots per game. UCLA”s Tyger Campbell is the only Pac-12 player to be connecting on 50 percent of his three-point attempts.
Oregon State Beavers at USC Trojans
Date, time, TV: Thursday, 11 p.m. ET, ESPNU
The home team has won five of the last seven meetings between Oregon State (3-11, 1-3) and Southern California (13-1, 3-1), including the last two as the Beavers and Trojans came away with victories at home nine days apart in January 2021.
Six of the last eight meetings went under the total.
Six of the last seven Oregon State games finished over the total, with the lone exception coming when Oregon State’s 71-64 loss to UC Davis landed on the 135-point total.
This will be Oregon State’s first road game since Dec. 2.
USC suffered its first loss at Stanford on Tuesday despite being listed as a seven-point favorite. The Trojans are 6-0 at home.
#USC has clear weaknesses it must address after the loss to Stanford. That’s the story of the upcoming Oregon State-Oregon homestand: Fix these problems. https://t.co/emSNJb5f7P
— USC Trojans Wire (@TrojansWire) January 12, 2022
Oregon State ranks 13th out of 14 conference teams in scoring defense (72.8 points per game) and scoring margin (-3.5). USC is second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage (48.8) and second in field goal percentage defense (36.1) although the Trojans didn’t approach either number in Tuesday’s loss to Stanford.
Colorado Buffaloes at Arizona Wildcats
Date, time, TV: Thursday, 11 p.m. ET, FS1
It has been more than a decade since Colorado defeated Arizona in back-to-back games. The Buffaloes won the last meeting 82-79 on Feb. 6, 2021, but have lost 14 of the last 17 meetings.
Five of the last games between the Buffaloes and Wildcats have been decided by less than 10 points, but in the last two games hosted by the Wildcats, Arizona has won by a combined total of 35 points.
Five straight games for Colorado (11-3, 3-1) had gone under the total before recent games against Washington State and Washington both went over the total.
Six of the last eight Arizona games have gone over the total, with the Wildcats scoring at least 90 points in five of those contests.
No. 6 Arizona (12-1, 2-0) is far and away the Pac-12 leader in scoring margin of 24.8 points per game. Colorado ranks fifth in both categories.
California Bears at Washington State Cougars
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Washington State swept the season series with Cal during the 2020-21 season after the Bears had won the previous three matchups
The Bears are second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense (62.5) while limiting opponents to 40.3 percent shooting from the floor and 29.9 percent from 3-point range.
Washington State is 9-1 when outrebounding its opponents.
Offensive issues have slowed both the Bears and Cougars, who rank 10th and 11th, respectively, in the Pac-12 in assists per game.
Stanford Cardinal at Washington Huskies
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Stanford has won the last four matchups with Washington, including wins by 16 and 18 points a season ago
Washington leads the Pac-12 with a +6.5 turnover margin, 9.1 steals per game and 18.3 forced turnovers per game.
Stanford has won seven of its last eight games when scoring at least 70 points
Washington’s Terrell Brown Jr. and Daejon Davis rank first and second in the Pac-12 in steals per game. That could be an issue in this game as Stanford is last in the Pac-12 in turnover margin.
Utah Utes at Arizona Wildcats
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
Arizona has failed to cover in its last four games largely due to being favored by more than 20 points in three of those matchups.
Five of the last six meetings between Utah (8-8, 1-5) and Arizona have gone over the total. Arizona won three of the four matchups that went over the total. The last meeting, won by Utah 73-58, finished under the total.
Utah’s last win in Arizona came in 1998, although two of the last three meetings between the teams at Arizona have been one-possession games.
The Utes are 0-4 on the road while the Wildcats are 8-0 at home.
Colorado Buffaloes at Arizona State Sun Devils
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN2
Colorado has won the last four games and was favored in three of them, with the other one going off as a pick’em.
The Buffaloes had been 1-6-2 against the spread over a nine-game stretch before covering in wins against Washington State and Washington.
Each of Arizona State’s last four games went under the total. Three of the five wins for the Sun Devils (5-8, 1-2) have come at home.
Arizona State has had six games either postponed or canceled since late December due to COVID-19 protocols.
Oregon State Beavers at UCLA Bruins
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network
UCLA has won five straight games since its loss to Gonzaga but has covered just twice during that span.
Oregon State had lost 10 games in a row before back-to-back wins, including one against Utah in late December.
Eight consecutive Oregon State-UCLA matchups had gone under the total before Oregon State’s 83-79 win over UCLA on March 11, 2021, went well over the 133½-point total.
The Beavers missed 14 of 16 three-point attempts in Monday’s loss to Oregon.
Oregon Ducks at USC Trojans
Date, time, TV: Saturday, 11 p.m. ET, FS1
Southern California has covered in five of the last six matchups against Oregon, with the Trojans winning straight up four times during that stretch, including a pair of double-digit wins in 2021.
Oregon is 8-1 when scoring at least 70 points while the Ducks are 1-5 when being held under 70 points.
The Trojans have failed to cover in four of their last six games after starting 6-2 against the spread.
Oregon was +10 on the rebounding department in a two-point win at Oregon State on Monday.
