Oregon Ducks at Oregon State Beavers Betting Preview

In-state rivals collide Thursday in the Pac-12 showdown between the No. 14 Oregon Ducks and Oregon State Beavers. At home, the Ducks are favored by 10 points with an over/under of 136.5 points.
At this point, winning the Pac-12 Tournament will be Oregon State’s only path to the Big Dance. On the heels of three straight losses, the Beavers are 15-12 overall and 5-10 in league play.
They had a good run during the non-conference season but have few quality wins of which to speak. They can only hope to find some magic late in the season before the conference tournament.
As for the Ducks, they’ve hit a slight malaise in February, losing three of their last six games. However, two of Oregon’s wins during that span have come against ranked teams, including a 73-72 thriller against Arizona over the weekend.
As it stands, the Ducks are one of five teams within a game of one another at the top of the Pac-12 standings, giving them a chance to win the regular-season crown with wins in their final three games.
Anyone Care to Join?
For Oregon, it’s all about senior guard Payton Pritchard, who has carried the team all season. He’s averaging over 20 points per game on the season and is fresh off a career-high 38 points in the overtime win against Arizona.
At this point, he looks like the favorite to win Pac-12 Player of the Year honors, especially if the Ducks can finish strong and win the regular-season title.
The question with Oregon is whether Pritchard will get enough help around him. The fact that he had to score 38 points to beat Arizona isn’t a good sign for the Ducks.
Second-leading scorer Chris Duarte has just 12 total points in his last three games, as he’s chosen the wrong time to slump despite grabbing 10 rebounds against Arizona. Will Richardson and Anthony Mathis are two good X-factors because both are knockdown three-point shooters.
But if they can’t get into a good rhythm shooting the ball, they usually don’t make a significant impact on games.
Two-Man Band
Oddly enough, the Beavers have two standout players they can usually rely on in Tres Tinkle and Ethan Thompson. Tinkle is a versatile forward who gives Oregon State 18 points and seven rebounds per game while Thompson contributes 15 points and four assists every time out.
They are also OSU’s two best defensive players outside of 7-foot center Kylor Kelley, who blocks 3.5 shots per game.
Unfortunately, the Beavers are a little limited offensively outside of Tinkle and Thompson. Kelley sometimes chips in, but he’s not a guarantee to score in double figures.
Take Tinkle and Thompson out of the picture, and Oregon State has no consistent outside shooters or playmakers who can create their own offense.
Revenge Time
In a shocking result, Oregon State beat Oregon 63-53 earlier this month despite the Ducks holding a double-digit lead in the second half. However, things should be different this time around with Oregon playing at home and having a lot on the line. Bet on the Ducks to win and cover the 10-point spread.