Pac-12 Conference Tournament College Basketball Betting Preview (2022)
The Pac-12 is getting a lot more credit than it has in recent years. After UCLA put together an improbable run in the NCAA Tournament last season, the Pac-12 is now a more serious league than it was five years ago.
It’s good for the sport. The fanbases in the Pac-12 are legitimate. The crowd noise is loud, and the excitement in every game is real. The Pac-12 is truly a Power Five conference.
Last year, Oregon State ended up winning the Pac-12 Tournament. As an eight-seed, the Beavers found a way to make the NCAA Tournament. Now this year, Oregon State is dead last in the Pac-12, and likely won’t pull off any crazy upsets this year. However, there are some teams that can. Let’s break it down.
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Pac-12 Conference Tournament
Dates: March 9-12
Venue: T-Mobile Arena - Las Vegas, NV
Top Seed: Arizona
Previous Winners
- 2020-21 - Oregon State
- 2019-20 - N/A
- 2018-19 - Oregon
- 2017-18 - Arizona
Favorite to Watch
Arizona (-120 at DraftKings)
The Arizona Wildcats have been nationally ranked in the top five throughout the entire season. Arizona is 28-3 on the season and has losses to Tennessee, UCLA, and Colorado. Two of those teams are Pac-12 teams, while Tennessee was a non-conference opponent.
Anyway, Arizona is as elite as it gets. The Wildcats are a top 20 team on offense and defense, according to KenPom. On the offensive end, the Wildcats have hit 34.9 percent from deep and 57.8 percent from inside. They also dominate the offensive glass, earning 34.5 percent of offensive rebounds.
On the defensive end, Arizona holds opponents to just 31.5 percent from deep and 41.6 percent from inside the arc. The Wildcats are also able to limit fouls and keep teams off the glass. Arizona will first play the winner of Stanford and Arizona State and begin their journey in the quarterfinals. As the one-seed, the Wildcats have the best route to the championship game.
Top Live Underdog
Oregon (+1500 at DraftKings)
The Oregon Ducks still finished 11-9 in conference play and went 18-13 overall. The Ducks will draw Oregon State first and then will get the chance to take on a four-seed in Colorado. This season, Oregon split with Colorado but stayed around in the first game and then absolutely dominated Colorado in the second game, on the road.
Oregon hasn't had the best of seasons and hasn't really played up to expectation. But the Ducks are well-coached and have plenty of talent on their roster to make a run at this thing. They've been above average on offense and defense and have defended the three very well this season, holding opponents to 32.6 percent from three.
If Oregon defeated Colorado, Oregon would have to face Arizona. But I've seen crazier things in these tournaments. An eight-seed won it all last year!
Best Longshot Play
Colorado (+4200 at DraftKings)
If you don't think Oregon will beat Colorado, then Colorado is the best bet. Colorado already defeated Arizona this season, and if the Boulders were to beat Oregon as a four-seed, Colorado would get Arizona in the semifinals. The Boulders finished the regular season with seven wins in their last eight games, and one of those wins was against Arizona, where Colorado won, at home 79-63.
That was the craziest game Colorado has played this season and one of the biggest letdowns we've seen from Arizona. A repeat could happen in the semifinals. Colorado will be confident after a win against Oregon.
You can think about betting both Colorado and Oregon and hope that one of those two can beat Arizona. It's not likely but certainly possible.
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Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.