March and its Madness have arrived with Conference Tournament week. Over the next four weeks US Sportsbook action will be over the top. Among the most interesting conference tournaments is the Pac 12. Arizona was the regular season champion but may be on fumes. Last week the Wildcats went through a week of tumult over the FBI scandal. Head coach Sean Miller was accused of being the worst of the worst. In fact, a date with the firing squad was expected. Yet Miller defied critics and remains as Arizona coach. But do the Wildcats have anything left for this week’s tournament?
Pac 12 Conference Tournament
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, 2018
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
NCAA Basketball Odds: (Click Here to See the Lines)
2018 Pac 12 Conference Tournament TV Coverage: Pac 12 Network, FS1
What looks to be a wide-open Pac 12 Tournament opens with four games on Wednesday. Four more games will be on the US Sportsbook card for Thursday. Final Four semifinal doubleheader action beckons for Friday. Saturday night is the Championship Game on FS1.
Arizona is the favorite according to GTBets sportsbook but no guarantee. USC, UCLA, Utah, Stanford and even Oregon all rate looks. Emotion, whether it’s good or bad, drains energy. And no team in America spent more energy than Arizona last week. Tremendous highs and lows were felt in just a few tense days. Within 48 hours Sean Miller went from as good as fired to receiving a standing ovation. How can his team quickly recharge the batteries for a competitive tournament?
Lost in the noise was yet another Pac 12 title by the Wildcats. Beyond that they boast the best player in the tournament with DeAndre Ayton. Team leadership by Ayton included 20 points and 11 rebounds per game. Improved USC could be a viable alternative to Arizona this week. Offensively UCLA is among the best in the country. Offsetting the Bruins sharpshooting is a lack of defense. Utah closed strong but is not a good offensive team. Solid but unspectacular was Stanford. Dana Altman’s Oregon Ducks seemed hungover after last year’s Final Four run.
Especially relevant to handicappers was USC’s profitable 19-11 run vs. the line. Also impressive was Utah with just 10 spread losses in 27 games. Overlays were the rule for Arizona. Just 11 times in 31 games did the Wildcats pay out. Oregon State was a horrible value at 12-18 against the spread. Red ink also flowed with California. Golden were not the Bears with just 11 covers in 29 games. Under the total hit in 18 of 28 USC games this year.
Matchup to Watch
Gamblers looking for US sportsbook value would be smart to avoid Arizona. Because of their Final Four run last year Oregon rates a look. Most noteworthy was that the Ducks lost just three of their final ten games vs. the odds. Another factor beyond emotional drain for Arizona is value. While they won the Pac 12 title they lost big time money. Another potential pick is UCLA with their dynamic offense. Conversely the Bruins defense is so bad that it could wreck its board value.
2018 Pac 12 Conference Tournament NCAA Basketball Picks
March Madness is often about finding a sleeper. Oregon fits the bill as a capable team being overlooked.
NCAA Basketball Betting Pick: Oregon Ducks
