It will be a battle between Pac-12 opponents when the California Golden Bears (7-11, 1-4 Pac-12) welcome the No. 14 Arizona Wildcats (14-4, 4-1 Pac-12) to Haas Pavilion. The game will air on Pac-12 Network at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 17, 2018.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 152.5 points with Arizona opening as a 14.5-point favorite.
Arizona Wildcats at California Golden Bears Betting Prediction
The Wildcats will be hoping for a similar result after defeating the Oregon Ducks in their last contest, 90-83. Arizona was effective at getting to and converting from the charity stripe. The Wildcats made 34 of their 37 free throws (91.9 percent), while the Ducks were 21-24 (87.5 percent). With 25 points on 6-for-14 shooting, Allonzo Trier was the top scorer from either team.
The last time the Golden Bears played, they got blown out by the Washington State Cougars, 78-53. Washington State’s effective field goal percentage was their biggest advantage over California. The Cougars had a rate of 0.716 (above their season average of 0.545), while the Golden Bears posted a mark of 0.348 (below their season average of 0.487). With 10 points and 11 rebounds, California’s Juhwan Harris-Dyson had a solid performance.
It will be a battle of opposite paces as the fast-paced Golden Bears will look to push the more grind-it-out Wildcats. The Golden Bears currently rank 93rd in possessions per game while the Wildcats are 194th. Moreover, the Wildcats’ 15th-ranked offense (offensive efficiency of 118.3) will try to take advantage of the Golden Bears’ 318th-ranked defense (defensive efficiency of 110.7).
Arizona is 14-4 straight up (SU), but they have a hard time covering the spread (6-11-1 against the spread (ATS)). Vegas has a tendency to set the total low when the Wildcats are involved, as 55.6 percent of their games have gone over the total.
Meanwhile, California is 7-11 SU and 5-10 ATS. Of the Golden Bears’ 15 games that accepted bets, 8 have finished over the total.
Justice Sueing has averaged 18.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the last five games for California.
After the Wildcats won both games against the Golden Bears last season, these teams will meet for the first time this year. In the last matchup, Arizona won 62-57. The Wildcats had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (35.5 vs. 16.0) and had a better turnover percentage (14.6 vs. 17.7).
Arizona Wildcats at California Golden Bears Free Pick
Predictions: SU Winner – Arizona, ATS Winner – Arizona, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes:
On the road, Arizona is 3-5 ATS with 5 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
At home, California is 2-7 ATS with 6 overs, 2 unders and 1 push.
Arizona ranks 58th in assists per game (15.8) while California ranks 249th (10.7).
The Wildcats rank 10th in rebounds allowed per game (30.2) while the Golden Bears rank 89th (33.7).
Arizona averages 4.4 blocks per game, which ranks 52nd in the NCAA. California ranks 101st in blocks allowed per game (3.7).
The Wildcats rank 226th in three pointers attempted per game (18.6) while the Golden Bears rank 268th (15.2).
California ranks 78th in steals per game (6.9) while Arizona ranks 89th in steals allowed per game (6.1).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Arizona is 1-3-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
California is 1-4 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Wildcats’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 6.2, down from 10.7 for the season.
During their last five games, the Golden Bears have scored an average of 66.4 points per game (6.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 81.0 points per game (0.7 above their season average).
