Arizona Wildcats at Oregon Ducks Betting Pick

The Thursday night college basketball schedule includes a Top 25 showdown in the Pac-12 between the No. 9 Oregon Ducks and the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats. At home, Oregon is favored by 3.5 points with an over/under of 143 points.
The Ducks suffered a close loss in their Pac-12 opener against Colorado last week, but they managed to bounce back with a tough road win against Utah over the weekend. Oregon has now won six of its last seven games, helping it climb into the top 10 of the polls.
The Ducks will now look to build on that momentum with a pair of home games this week.
Speaking of climbing, the Wildcats have returned to the Top 25 after a tough stretch. Arizona recently dropped three out of four games, although those losses came at the hands of Baylor, Gonzaga, and St. John’s.
The good news is that the Wildcats were able to give in-state rival Arizona State a 75-47 shellacking in their Pac-12 opener, moving them to 11-3 overall.
Triple Threat
The Wildcats have been led this season by the trio of Zeke Nnaji, Nico Mannion, and Josh Green. All three are freshmen, average at least 13 points per game, and are responsible for carrying the Arizona offense.
Nnaji, in particular, has been a revelation early in the year. The 6-11 big man has rattled off three straight double-doubles, averaging 19 points and 13 rebounds during that span. Mannion and Green aren’t far behind and only seem to be getting better with every game.
Unfortunately for the Wildcats, production from the rest of the team has been hit and miss from one game to the next. Senior Chase Jeter is struggling to adjust to a somewhat smaller role with Nnaji being Arizona’s top big man.
The Wildcats are also struggling to get consistent performances from the likes of Dylan Smith and Jemari Baker, who Arizona needs for their outside shooting.
A Couple of Quacks
The Ducks are having similar problems to the ones Arizona is having. Payton Pritchard has been a bonafide star, averaging close to 19 points and nearly six assists per game this season. Meanwhile, Chris Duarte has been a reliable option as well, scoring in double figures in nine of his last 10 games.
But Oregon doesn’t always get enough scoring from its other players, putting too much on Pritchard’s shoulders against quality teams.
Oregon’s fate often rests with the play of Will Richardson and Anthony Mathis. Richardson averages 10 points per game but has often disappeared against the top opponents the Ducks have faced this season.
Mathis, on the other hand, is the team’s best three-point shooter and the ultimate X-factor. He got hot when the Ducks beat Michigan but was a combined 1-for-10 from deep in losses to Gonzaga and North Carolina. The Ducks need him to get going to give them a lift against top competition.
Ducking Out
Arizona’s young core may not be ready to win a difficult conference game on the road. Pritchard will shine for the Ducks, who should also get enough from their supporting cast to pull away late. Bet on Oregon to cover the 3.5-point spread at home.