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Arizona vs. Long Beach State: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks

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Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Arizona vs. Long Beach State. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!

2024 NCAA Tournament Odds & Picks: Arizona vs. Long Beach State

Arizona 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

With the final one-seed available for the taking, all Arizona had to do was win the games they were supposed to win. Then the Wildcats proceeded by finishing the season going 1-2, dropping to USC and Oregon - both teams ranked outside the top 50. How do you take this team seriously? A fair answer is that this team started 8-0, with wins over Duke, Michigan State and Wisconsin as part of the 10th-hardest non-conference strength of schedule. They truly push the pace with the eighth-fastest offense in the nation and the 23rd-fastest overall pace of play. Their offense and defense rank in the top 15 on KenPom, a solid recipe for tournament success and championship aspirations. it’s simply fun to watch their offense.

Arizona is solid with several near-proximity looks, ranking fifth in second-chance conversion percentage while draining threes at a clip that ranks top-25 in the nation at around 37%. The problem with this team is consistency and their ability to ply away from McKale Memorial Center. In the Haslametrics away from home ranking, they rank 349th. I do have to be fair in saying that’s subjective because of how well they play at home, but also a little concerning, considering they only put up 59 points in a loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 conference tournament.

In terms of consistency, they rank 275th, with a momentum rank near 300th - it’s not a great time for Arizona. They play electric basketball and can take down any competition. It’s just a question of if they can do it for six straight games. Caleb Love has looked awesome as a Wildcat, but it almost seems like the higher his usage, the worse he plays. Oumar Ballo has stepped up in a more significant role but doesn’t seem to have that take-over ability. I don’t want to seem like I am ragging this team; they are more than capable of making it to Phoenix. It’s just that when Arizona is on the back of losing in the first round a year ago, it makes one focus on what could go wrong for Tommy Lloyd’s crew rather than what could go right. They rebound well and can score the lights out. It’s just a matter of if they could consistently put together a tournament run.

Long Beach St. 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview

Despite a mutual separation between Long Beach State and Dan Monson, Long Beach State made an improbable run in the Big West tournament to capture an auto-bid. While they might not be the favorite in the bracket, they still have a competitive edge with a season record of 21-14. Long Beach State’s strategy leans heavily on their offense to secure victories. They particularly favor mid-range shots, ranking in the top 30 in the ratio of mid-range attempts to total field goal attempts, although their conversion rate on these shots is mediocre. Defensively, Long Beach State struggles more.

Ranked on the lower end in defensive efficiency, they struggle to defend against three-point shots. Opponents often capitalize on this weakness by attempting a large proportion of their shots from a long distance. Interestingly, Long Beach State performs better on the road, ranking in the top 45 nationally in their away-from-home metric. This suggests they may have some strengths or advantages when playing neutral-court games.

Their experience and turnover from last year show promise for upset potential with Aboubacar Traore and Lassina Traore anchoring the frontcourt. With the lack of perimeter threats and how many holes their defense has, especially on the perimeter, it’s tough to trust this squad. They may be a favorite of Ken and Barbie as they are the literal ‘Beach,’ but there will only be so much a seemingly banged-up Marcus Tsohonis can do to lead his team past the first round.

2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions: Arizona vs. Long Beach State

With Arizona returning as a two-seed after being upset early last year, I am sure the Wildcats will be on edge when preparing for this game. Both offenses have a top-15 pace of play, and with Long Beach State's sub-200-ranked defense, Arizona should have its way on the offensive glass from the perimeter. It feels like the Beach are playing with house money after letting go of their coach before earning a tournament bid, and they have some respectful wins over teams like USC and Michigan. With the high pace and chances LBSU will have, give me the over here.

2024 NCAA Tournament Picks: Arizona vs. Long Beach State

Bet: Over 160.5 (-110 via DraftKings Sportsbook)

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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks

Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament

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2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks

Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!

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