Wildcats vs. Ducks Prediction
Two top 25 teams will square off tonight in the PAC 12 Conference as the 24th-ranked Arizona Wildcats play at the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks. Can Arizona stay within the number as the small underdogs?
Game Snapshot
657 Arizona Wildcats at 658 Oregon Ducks
Thursday, January 9, 2020
Matthew Knight Arena at 9PM ET
TV: ESPN
Compare odds from multiple different online sportsbooks and shop for the best lines at our NCAA Basketball Odds & Betting Page
According to oddsmakers, the Ducks are a 3.5-point favorite on the spread line. The total is set at 142.5 points. As of Thursday morning, 84 percent of public bets are pouring in on host Oregon. Check out our College Basketball Public Betting Page for the latest info.
Wildcats blast Sun Devils
Arizona cruised to a 75-47 home victory Saturday night over rival Arizona State to improve to 11-3 overall and 1-0 in the PAC 12. The Wildcats led 36-17 at halftime on their way to the easy win. Zeke Nnaji led Arizona with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting plus 3-of-4 at the free throw line. He also contributed 11 rebounds and two steals. Josh Green tallied 12 points, seven boards, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals. Nico Mannion registered 10 points, seven dimes and two rebounds. Dylan Smith added 10 points and two boards.
Ducks get past Utes
Oregon secured a 69-64 win Saturday at Utah to move to 12-3 overall and 1-1 in conference action. Payton Pritchard led the Ducks with 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting including 3-of-6 from 3-point distance. He also notched five assists and four rebounds. Chris Duarte tallied 14 points, seven boards and three dimes. Will Richardson added 14 points, six caroms and five assists off the bench. Oregon led 36-31 at halftime and held on after the break.
College Basketball Betting Trends
Arizona
The Wildats are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 Thursday games. Arizona is 2-6 ATS in its last eight games overall.
Oregon
The Ducks are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as a home favorite. Oregon is 22-5 ATS in its last 27 games following a straight up win.
Prediction:
The Wildcats are arguably the better and more talented team, but had not been playing their best basketball prior to the dominant win over ASU. While the Ducks are elite offensively, they tend to struggle on the defensive end and could struggle to stop a very talented Arizona defense. The Wildcats are also the better defensive team in the matchup. As long as Arizona can handle the tough road environment, I like its chances here.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL DAILY PREDICTION: ARIZONA WILDCATS +3.5