Dean Etheridge
Revenge will be in the air when the Arizona Wildcats take on the Oregon Ducks in the clash of the night from the Pac-12 on Thursday. Can the Wildcats do it? Let’s take a closer look and tell you what we think with our latest free NCAAB betting picks.
- What; NCAAB
- Who; Arizona Wildcats vs Oregon Ducks
- Where; McKale Center, Tucson, Arizona
- When; Thursday, February 2nd, 2023
- Start Time; 10.30 pm ET
The last time these two teams met was on January 14th this year, and it was a night that will live long in the memories of Ducks’ fans. Oregon was simply too good. After a tightish first period that saw the Ducks lead by 6 points, they dominated the second period, outsourcing the Wildcats 44-31, to complete a stunning 87-68 win over their Pac-12 rivals.
Earned.@OregonMBB defeats #9 Arizona 87-68. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/nehZHBfFVy
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) January 15, 2023
Despite the win, it’s the Wildcats who are in the better overall position. Arizona are ranked five, and they sit second in the Pac-12. Oregon sits fifth in the same division, and doesn’t feature in the top 25 ranked college basketball teams at all.
2023 NCAA Basketball Championship Winner Betting
This is also reflected in the latest odds with the best college basketball betting sites. Only five teams are ahead of Arizona. The Wildcats are +1400 to win the 2023 NCAAB Championship, Oregon is +15000.
Elsewhere in the betting to win the 2023 Championship, and it’s the Houston Cougars at +750 who lead the way. The Cougars have been favorites for nearly the whole season, but they have seen their odds drift over the past few days.
They are followed by the trio of Kansas, Purdue, and Alabama. All three teams are +1000. After that is the Tennessee Volunteers. The number two ranked side are +1100, and breathing down the necks of the three sides above them. Arizona is next at +1400. Tommy Lloyd’s side shares those odds with UCLA. There’s then a significant gap in the odds until we get to Virginia, Texas, and Connecticut, who are all +2500.
The odds above are taken from Bovada, you will find more details about their new customers welcome bonus in our Bovada sportsbook review. More 2023 college basketball odds on the NCAAB Championship can be found below.
| NCAAB Tournament Winner Betting 2023 |  |  |  |
| Houston Cougars | +750 | +750 | +750 |
| Kansas | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Purdue | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Alabama | +1000 | +950 | +1000 |
| Tennessee | +1100 | +1100 | +1100 |
| Arizona | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| UCLA | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Virginia | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Connecticut | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Texas | +2500 | +2500 | +2500 |
| Gonzaga | +2800 | +3000 | +2800 |
| Creighton | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| Kansas State | +2800 | +2800 | +2800 |
| North Carolina | +3300 | +3300 | +3300 |
| TCU | +3500 | +3500 | +3500 |
| Oregon | +15000 | +15000 | +140000 |
Arizona looking to extend winning streak to five
Since the defeat to Oregon, the Wildcats have won four matches in succession. The most recent victory was a 23 points thrashing of the Washington Huskies last weekend. The Huskies were doing okay at the halfway point, only trailing 38-36 at the end of the first period. It was after that the real damage was done, as the Wildcats scored 57 points in the second period, to eventually win the game 95-72.
This win over Washington came after a 63-58 away win over Washington State, which followed a huge 58-52 win over highly ranked UCLA. The Bruins lead the Pac-12, so defeating them was a huge scalp for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats were the better side throughout the match. They led the UCLA Bruins at the halfway point by 26 points to 23. Tommy Lloyd’s side also had the better of the match in the second period, taking that 32-29.
In the end the scoreline looked like a comfortable win for Arizona. But it’s fair to say it was a tight contest between two of the better sides in the NCAA, which the Wildcats had to work hard to win.
Oregon are a side not to be underestimated
Since their well earned win over Thursday’s opponents, the Oregon Ducks have won three and lost one. The wins came over the California Golden Bears (87-58), the Colorado Buffaloes (75-69), and the Utah Utes (68-56). The defeat came at the hands of Stanford. On that occasion the Ducks lost 71-64 on January 21st.
That's a dub‼️#GoStanford | @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/bxinOvg0YU
— Stanford Men's Basketball (@StanfordMBB) January 22, 2023
But, including the win over the Wildcats, Oregon have won four of their last five. That says they’re in good form and have to be taken seriously tonight. Now lets see what the betting says and make our NCAAB betting picks.
Arizona vs Oregon Betting and Picks
On the moneyline Arizona is -390, Oregon is +320. Is there value there in backing the Wildcats?
Moving on, and on the handicap spread, Arizona is giving Oregon a +9 points start. Both teams are priced up at -110 in this market. While in the total points market, the line is set at 150 points. Both over and under are priced up at -110 here.
When the two teams met in January, Oregon were the winners by 19 points, and there were 155 points scored in the match. Conventional thinking says it’s a big ask for Arizona to turn around 28 points and beat the 9 point spread tonight.
But I do believe Arizona will win, so I need to forget about that and just ask whether they will win by more than nine. In their last four matches, Arizona has won by 23,5, 6, and 15. The 6 points win was over UCLA. It’s a tight call, but I’m going to say that Arizona won’t beat the spread tonight, and I make a win for Oregon in the handicap market my betting pick.
