Posted on
3/12/2008 4:58:45 PM
Bet on College Basketball - Arizona Wildcats vs. Oregon State Beavers
By Robby Maddux
If you like smelly beavers, wager on NCAA basketball, have money to burn and-or are an Oregon State diehard fan, then you will most likely be investing on your team this evening, starting at 11:30pm EST when they meet the Arizona Wildcats in Round 1 of the Pac-10 tournament.
Oregon State finished the regular-season 0-18 SU (straight up) in the Pac-10, riding a 21-game conference losing streak and they are 6-15 ATS (against the spread) in this tourney. Oregon State is the first Pac-10 team ever to go winless in conference play. It's hard to imagine the school's basketball club being worse than its football squad, isn't it?
Unfortunately for the NCAA basketball betting gang, who enjoys hunting for beavers, the numbers get stinkier. It’s nothing but money-dropping stats for
Oregon State in this event, as they're 0-3 ATS as underdogs of more than six points, 0-3 ATS versus .700 or greater opposition, and the list goes on.
Oregon State concluded the regular-season at 6-24 SU overall. They rank a stagnant 284th in making money with a 9-19-1 ATS mark. That's down right gross, Beaver-ballers.
Arizona is a team on the bubble and can ill-afford a loss in the tourney's opening round, which will definitely inspire them to play hard. Surprisingly, the Wildcats finished the season with a losing record of 8-10 in conference play for the first time since 1984.
However, they have one of the deepest and talented teams as any in the conference. It shouldn't come as a shocker if they upset one or two of the big boys, especially with starting point guard Nick Wise back on the floor.
An interesting stat shows the Wildcats 1-5 ATS in the Pac-10 tournament
versus conference foes coming off back-to-back wins, but 5-1 ATS otherwise. Arizona went 18-13 SU overall and posted a respectable 15-13-1 ATS number.
The Wildcats and Beavers last met on March 8, when Arizona claimed a cover win in a 81-45 rout at Oregon State's house as the 11-point favorites. Can you say laugher?
Arizona put the game out of reach early by hanging 40 on the Beavers in the first half and held Oregon State to just 18 points before the break. Wise returned from a knee injury to score 15 for Arizona. Jerryd Bayless scored 20,
Chase Budinger had 17 and Jordan Hill added 16.
In the prior meeting this year on Jan. 3, then-No. 21 Arizona got a home 76-63 win but failed to cover as the 16-point chalk in the first conference game for both teams.
Budinger scored 11 of his 20 points over the final seven minutes for Arizona in the first date. Hill had 20 points and 14 rebounds and Wise, starting in place of injured Bayless, scored 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
BetUS NCAA basketball odds list the Wildcats 18½-point faves this matchup with a game total of 130½. The Wildcats have won 45 of the last 51 meetings SU between the teams.
Analysis: The Wildcats, based on the nation's top schedule, should get into the Big Dance, unless they lose to the lowly Beavers. But there's a better chance of hell freezing over than that happening.
Oregon State has failed to score 50 points five times this year and may not do so again tonight. We all like beavers fellas, but these Beavers really stink, so stay away and take Arizona!
NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Arizona Wildcats -18½
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