The Pac-12 Tournament moves to the quarterfinals Thursday, and there’s key action for both the NCAA Tournament bubble as well as the pursuit of a conference championship.
We’ve got everything you need to know for today’s action from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
No. 8 Arizona State vs. No. 1 Oregon: 11:30 a.m. PST, Pac-12 Network
Point Spread: Oregon -9
Point Total: 147.5
Fare thee well Sun Devils point guard Remy Martin, perhaps the best name in conference history. Arizona State lost to UTEP on December 16th but were still in the Top 25, and then five straight conference losses after a COVID-19 pause. They never recovered, and aren’t likely to look much better today. Their only path is to win this event, and that seems pretty unlikely with the Ducks standing in the way.
The pick: Oregon -9
No. 5 Oregon State vs. No. 4 UCLA: 3:30 p.m. ST, Pac-12 Network
Point Spread: UCLA -5
Point Total: 133
The Bruins are somehow still in the field despite losing three straight to end the season, as well as a complete meltdown to rival USC to cap the season. That status could get wonky with a loss today and some bid steals potentially in the offing. The Ducks are in form as well, having won four out of five before losing to Oregon 80-67 on Senior Night. Two teams trending in opposite directions here.
The pick: Beavers +5
No. 7 Utah vs. No. 2 USC: 5:30 p.m. PST, Pac-12 Network
Point Spread: USC -7
Point Total: 140
The Utah Utes and USC Trojans each play a slow style of basketball, as the Trojans rank No. 220 in the country in pace of play with Utah at No. 260, which is determined by possessions per game. The Utes have been incredibly hot offensively, scoring 98 points in each of their last two games, but that appears to be a major outlier for how their offense has played this season, and USC comes in at No. 14 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency this season.
The pick: Under 140
No. 11 California vs. No. 3 Colorado: 8:30 p.m. PST, Pac-12 Network
Point Spread: Colorado -15
Point Total: 133.5
It’s been an incredibly difficult season for the California Bears this season at 3-17 in conference play, and the Bears are 1-11 away from home so it makes sense this spread would be as high as it is. We’ll stay away from the point spread and take a look at the total. Cal really struggles to score, and they rank No. 323 among 347 teams in possessions per game. Meanwhile, the Colorado Buffaloes also play at a very slow pace, ranked No. 295. Neither team is likely to put up a high point total, so let’s settle on the under even if it’s relatively low.
The pick: Under 133.5
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