Pac-12 This Week: Bid Farewell to the Conference
The end of Pac-12 basketball that we know and love is coming to an end. When Saturday’s game between Arizona State and UCLA is over, that will be the final game of the regular season in the Pac-12. With most of the conference teams heading to greener pastures beginning next season, it will be the end of an era.
There is still plenty to play for. Arizona, which came into the season as the favorite according to the NCAA basketball predictions to win the Pac-12 title, is fighting it out with Washington State for the regular-season title. Meanwhile, the Pac-12 is loaded with teams on the bubble when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.
Arizona is fifth in both national polls. Washington State, 18th in the AP poll and 20th in the coaches poll, is the only other Pac-12 team in the top 25 in the national polls.
The Wildcats are fourth in the NCAA NET rankings despite having a Quad 2 and a Quad 3 loss. The next Pac-12 team in the NCAA NET rankings is Colorado at No. 31 while Washington State is 39th.
When looking at the college basketball futures odds, Arizona is tied for fourth with +1200 odds of winning the NCAAM championship. Washington State is priced at +8000 while Utah, Colorado and Oregon have +15000 odds to win March Madness.
Keep on reading for more on the games to watch on this week’s Pac-12 schedule.
1. Washington (16-14 SU, 17-13 ATS) vs Washington State (23-7 SU, 14-16 ATS)
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 7, 9 p.m. ET
- TV & Live Stream: FS1
It is hard to imagine that the Huskies and Cougars will be in different conferences next season with Washington headed to the Big Ten and Washington State one of two Pac-12 teams left behind in the conference realignment world.
There’s no place like home 🏡
One last time. Thursday at 6 p.m.#GoCougs // #WheatfieldUnderdogs pic.twitter.com/8h80VyFvzP
— Washington State Men’s Basketball (@WSUCougarsMBB) March 3, 2024
Washington State went into Seattle in early February and won 90-87 in a game that went off as a Pick’em. It was the Cougars’ third straight win over the rival Huskies.
Four of the last five games between the teams went over the total. The Cougars have won four of their last five home games against Washington.
If Washington State wins and Arizona drops one of its last two games, the Cougars would be the top seed in the upcoming Pac-12 tournament.
Freshman Myles Rice is averaging 15.7 points and 5.0 assists over his last three games for Washington State.
Keion Brooks has scored at least 20 points in six of his last seven games for the Huskies. Washington is 4-3 in those contests.
Washington has covered against the college basketball Vegas odds in just five of its 10 road games this season. Washington State is 1-6 ATS at home.
2. Colorado (20-9 SU, 18-11 ATS) vs Oregon (19-10, 17-12 ATS)
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 7, 9 p.m. ET
- TV & Live Stream: TBS.com
With Colorado 30th and Oregon 64th in the NCAA NET rankings, this is feeling like a must-win game for both teams if the Buffaloes or Ducks want to earn an at-large bid into the March Madness bracket.
Colorado has won four games in a row to hit the 20-win mark. Junior KJ Simpson has led the way by averaging 26.8 points with 18 3-pointers during the winning streak. He is also shooting 58% from the field.
Oregon allowed 103 points to Arizona the last time out, with the Ducks splitting their last eight games. Jermaine Couisnard had 39 points in the loss to the Wildcats.
Colorado has won four of the last six meetings with Oregon after an emphatic 86-70 win in January as the six-point favorite. Four of those games went over the total.
Oregon is 8-6 against the NCAA basketball lines at home while Colorado has covered in six of its nine road games.
3. Arizona (23-6 SU, 15-14 ATS) vs UCLA (14-15 SU, 12-17 ATS)
- Date/Time: Thursday, March 7, 9:30 p.m. ET
- TV & Live Stream: ESPN
When the Pac-12 schedule came out, this matchup between the Wildcats and the Bruins was being circled on the calendar as one of the biggest games of the season.
Arizona has taken care of its part with the Wildcats leading the Pac-12 by a half-game over Washington State with two games left to play. UCLA has dropped four games in a row to fall under .500 after coming into the season listed by the Las Vegas odds as one of the Pac-12 contenders.
Arizona has won five of the last six games against UCLA, although the last five games have been decided by single digits. The lone win by the Bruins was the last time Arizona came to town.
When the teams met in January, Pelle Larsson had 22 points in Arizona’s 77-71 win while Sebastian Mack led the Bruins with 21 points.
UCLA is last in the Pac-12 with a 6-8 mark against the college basketball spread at home. Arizona is 6-3 against the spread on the road.
Questions Of The Day
Which Pac-12 team has had the most games go over the total?
Oregon State and USC are tied for the Pac 12 lead with 19 games going over the total.
Who has the best odds of winning March Madness among Pac-12 teams?
Arizona was tied for second with +1000 championship odds when the season began and those odds have moved to +1200. That is still the best mark among Pac-12 teams.
