The California Golden Bears came up one-point shy of taking down then No. 5 Virginia last December 22nd, but they finally got their first ranked victim on Sunday, when they defeated No. 21 Utah to boost their RPI credentials. Standing in their way for a fourth-straight win is the Oregon Ducks, who are seeking to extend their lengthy win streak in Eugene.
Read on for more about this game. You can also check out our preview of Xavier vs. St. John’s.
[sc:MarchMadness ]California Golden Bears vs. Oregon Ducks Preview
Where: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene
When: Wednesday, January 6, 9:00 PM ET
Line: California Golden Bears vs. Oregon Ducks – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the California Golden Bears (12-3, 1-1 Pac-12)
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]California is more than just the Tyrone Wallace show anymore, which spells trouble for the team’s future opponents. With their top two recruits in Ivan Rabb and Jaylen Brown in the mix, the Golden Bears are starting to look like a force to reckon with not just in the conference but in the nation as well.
Rabb, in particular, was sensational in California’s 71-58 downing of Utah, as the freshman poured in 19 points and ripped down 10 boards. He’ll enter tonight’s contest averaging 12.4 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds a game.
Brown, on the other hand, scored just nine points in the Utah game, but he’s second on the team with 14.3 points to go along with 6.0 rebounds per contest.
Still, Wallace is California’s best player, as the do-it-all senior guard is putting up 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game to lead the Golden Bear’s offense that is currently seventh in the conference with 76.8 PPG.
Defensively, the Golden Bears will be in better position to win tonight’s game if they could slow down Oregon center Chris Boucher, who’s been the Ducks’ best player this season. California’s not new to dealing with outstanding big men, as they’ve limited Colorado’s Josh Scott and Utah’ Jakob Poetl to a combined 10-for-30 shooting in the Golden Bears’ previous games.
California, which is 41st in the nation with 64.3 points allowed per game, is 9-1 SU and 7-3 ATS in its last 10 meetings with the Ducks.
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Betting on the Oregon Ducks (11-3, 0-1 Pac-12)
Oregon didn’t have a memorable kickoff to its Pac-12 schedule when the Ducks were shot with a 70-57 loss by Oregon State on Sunday. A chance to notch their first conference win is in the offing tonight though for the Ducks, as they host California at home, where Oregon is undefeated over their last 16 games there dating back to last season.
The Ducks’ offense was just bad in the Oregon State game. They went 19-for-53 (35.8%) from the field and made just seven of their 25 attempts from deep. Conversely, their usually tight defense was busted open by the Beavers who had five players scoring in double digits. The Ducks were also outrebounded, 37-32. All these will have to improve against a streaking California team that is starting to look like worthy of a Top 25 spot.
Oregon needs its supporting cast to step up this time. Jordan Bell and Elgin Cook went invisible in the Oregon State game, combining for just seven points, thus leaving Dillon Brooks and Chris Boucher with most of the workload on offense.
Brooks, the Ducks’ top scorer with 16.0 PPG, produced 13 points, while Boucher had 16 points off the bench. Boucher has been playing terrific off the bench with 11.9 PPG as the team’s sixth man. Hopefully, Dylan Ennis will finally get his bearings back to be of significant help as part of the second unit after scoring just two points against the Beavers.
Ennis has played in just two games this season after missing the first 12 contests with a foot injury. Ennis played for Villanova last season, where he averaged 9.9 points and 3.5 assists per game.
Writer’s Prediction
California wins, 77-70.
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