Arizona is almost there. The No. 5-ranked Wildcats claimed at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season title with a massive win on the court of their nearest challengers, the Utah Utes. Zona can now clinch the crown outright by taking care of Cal at the McKale Center on Thursday.
Will the ‘Cats claim that crown or will Cal cause an upset in the desert? Read on as we preview this Pac-12 tilt. And over in the Big Ten, see if Wisconsin can similarly seal the regular season title as it takes on Minnesota with our preview here.
[sc:MarchMadness ]California Golden Bears vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview
Where: McKale Center, Tuscon
When: Thursday, March 5, 7:00 PM ET
Line: California Golden Bears (+19) at Arizona Wildcats (-19); total 134.0 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the California Golden Bears
California (17-12, 7-9 Pac-12) finally got back on the win column with a dominating 73-56 win over Oregon State. Cal had previously lost its last three games against Utah, Oregon, and Stanford – second, third and fifth in the conference – by an average of a dozen points.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Sophomore guard Jordan Mathews broke out from his recent slump as he scored 17 points to lead four Bears in double figures against Oregon State. Mathews had scored 18 points combined against Utah, Oregon and Stanford. Meanwhile, senior David Kravish continued his strong play with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He’s averaging 16.7 points and nine rebounds in his last three games.
Mathews, Kravish and leading scorer Tyrone Wallace (17 points per game) were the only ones who could get anything going offensively in Cal’s previous meeting with Arizona, a 73-50 defeat. The three combined to score 45 of the team’s 50 points. That’s definitely not a formula to beat a top 10 team.
The key for Cal will be which Jabari Bird shows up. The sophomore guard scored five points against Arizona, and can sometimes be susceptible to disappearing from games. But he can also go off offensively, as he did when he went for 21 and 22 points against Utah and Oregon, respectively, in the past few weeks.
Create a betting account now and profit off of college hoops’ explosive X-factors going off in crucial games.
Betting on the Arizona Wildcats
No. 5 Arizona (26-3, 14-2 Pac-12) sealed at least a share of the Pac-12 regular season championship with a hard-fought 63-57 win over Utah in Salt Lake City. It was a grinding contest with both teams shooting in the 30s from the field, but Arizona’s balance (four players scored in double figures) and strength on the glass (they won the rebounding battle, 44-35) won the day. The win was the Wildcats’ sixth in a row. They’ve gone 5-1 against the spread.
Arizona withstood a horrific shooting night from leading scorer Stanley Johnson (14 points per game) against Utah. The freshman scored 12 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but went just 3-of-19 (15 percent) from the field. Johnson also had a horrible shooting game just two games ago, when he went 1-of-9 against UCLA.
Johnson led the Wildcats with 18 points in their 73-50 win over Cal earlier in the season, but they don’t necessarily need Johnson at his very best when they have the kind of depth that has six players averaging over nine points per game this season.
It also helps to have a defense like Arizona’s, which has held opponents to 54 points and sub-40 percent shooting in each of its last four games. The Wildcats should be able to key in on Cal’s limited scoring threats, and keep the Bears offense trapped for most of the game.
With Gonzaga’s shock loss to BYU, Arizona now owns the nation’s top home-winning streak. The Wildcats are unbeaten in their last 36 games at the McKale Center. This season, they’ve gone 5-2 against the spread.
Writer’s Prediction
Arizona crushes Cal as it wins and covers at home.
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