The Washington State Cougars (9-12) are currently on a seven-game losing streak and will meet the No. 23-ranked Arizona Wildcats (17-5) at Wallis Beasley Performing Arts Coliseum. The game begins at 10:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 3 and can be seen on PAC.
The Cougars are hoping to rebound after their 83-50 loss to UCLA on Saturday. Ike Iroegbu was the team’s leading scorer, contributing 16 points. The Wildcats are coming off an 80-63 win against Oregon State on Saturday. Gabe York led the game in scoring by accounting for 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting.
Second-chance points might be scarce for the Cougars in this matchup. They rank 303rd in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 25.7%), while Arizona is third-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 78.4%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Wildcats winning the first matchup 90-66. Parker Jackson-Cartwright was a standout player in the game, producing 13 points, four rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and three three-pointers.
The Cougars look to improve upon their records of 9-12 Straight Up (SU) and 9-11 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 3-7 ATS. Washington State has consistently been near the top of the nation in terms of field goal percentage, currently ranking 29th in the nation with a FG% of .479.
Across the court, the Wildcats have 17-5 SU and 12-10 ATS records. The Wildcats convert their shots at a high percentage, ranking sixth in the country at .500. The Wildcats are a force on the boards, grabbing an average of 40.0 rebounds per game. Switching gears to the Arizona defense, the Wildcats have one of the best opponent three-point field goal percentages in the country at .312.
With the Wildcats’ last win against Washington State, their SU record against Washington State moves to 9-1 over their most recent meetings. Additionally, with a 9-1 record, Arizona has the advantage ATS. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, Arizona held the edge in all three of these categories three times in the last five meetings. Washington State never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ari, ATS Winner – Ari
Notes
Washington State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games.
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Washington State’s last 9 games.
Washington State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games.
Washington State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Washington State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Arizona.
Washington State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against Arizona.
Washington State is 3-16 SU in its last 19 games when playing at home against Arizona.
Washington State lost its last game by a 33-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Arizona is 7-0. Washington State is 3-4 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 22nd, the Arizona Wildcats have an offensive rating of 115.5. The Washington State Cougars rank 242nd with a defensive rating of just 105.8.
Arizona has the sixth-ranked average field goal percentage at 50.0%. Washington State has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-4).
The Washington State Cougars and the Arizona Wildcats both rank higher in average field goal percentage when compared to their effective field goal percentages. Washington State is 43rd and 29th in the nation for eFG% and FG% respectively, while Arizona ranks 17th and sixth in these categories.
Arizona ranks 69th in assists, recording 15.5 per game. Washington State performs worse at 137th with 14.0 assists per game.
Arizona, the 40th-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 40.0 rebounds per game. Washington State does worse, ranked 286th with 34.0.
The Washington State Cougars make an average of 5.8 steals per game. When the Arizona Wildcats allow 5 or more steals, they are a tremendous 10-3.
