Arizona is still in the running for the Pac-12 regular-season title, but the Wildcats can likely forget about that possibility if they lose at a struggling California squad on Thursday in Berkeley. Arizona is favored on the Mybookie NCAAB odds. Let’s see how the College Basketball betting odds will be for this Arizona vs California NCAAB game.
Arizona vs California 2020 College Basketball Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Thursday, 10:30 PM ET
- Where: Haas Pavilion, Berkeley
- TV: Fox Sports 1
- Opening NCAAB Lines: Arizona -10.5 (total 133.5)
Arizona vs California Season Series
Only scheduled meeting in 2019-20. Last year, Arizona won both rather easily. It was 87-65 at Cal. Chase Jeter led the Wildcats with 23 points. They led by 12 at halftime and turned it into a rout in the second half. Cal shot just 34.5 percent (20 for 58) from the field. Arizona overcame a sluggish start and closed the first half on a 12-4 run, taking a 40-28 lead into the locker room. The Wildcats got the Bears in early foul trouble and took advantage, hitting 10 of 11 from the free throw line. Cal, meanwhile, shot just 32 percent (9 for 28) over the first 20 minutes.
Arizona leads the series, 66-31, and has won the past seven.
Why Bet on Arizona?
Arizona (16-7, 6-4 Pac-12) had a three-game winning streak emphatically snapped in a 65-52 home upset loss to UCLA on Saturday. Playing arguably its best all-around game of the season, the Bruins held the Cats to 25% shooting. UCLA shut down Arizona inside the arc in the first half and all over the floor in the second to become the second team to win at McKale Center this season.
UCLA shot 51% overall and used a big second half run to pull away. The Wildcats missed all 12 of their second-half 3-point attempts and went 6 for 29 overall. Cats freshman Zeke Nnaji had his 12th double-double of the season, finishing with 14 points and 10 rebounds. UCLA the 6-foot-10 freshman work for it, hounding him with double teams all night. Nnaji shot 2 of 8, but made all 10 of his free throws. He has scored in double figures in all but three games and is fourth in the Pac-12 in rebounding (8.9) while also joining a group of seven players in the country to have five games of 11+ rebounds this season.
The freshman trio of Nnaji, Nico Mannion and Josh Green are the top scoring freshman trio in the country. Mannion is second in the Pac-12 at 5.7 assists per game. He is just the eighth UA freshman to register 100 assists in a season. The Wildcats average of 16.1 assists per game ranks 21st nationally and the 1.41-to-1 assist/turnover ratio is ninth in the country.
Chase Jeter has missed five of the last six games (back) and only played 92 seconds in the one game that he did see the court at Washington. He is second on the team lead in rebounding (4.9) and has six games scoring in double figures to his credit. Jeter is questionable for this game.
- Arizona are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games against California.
- Arizona are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games against California.
- Arizona are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games when playing on the road against California.
Why Bet on California?
The Bears (10-13, 4-6 Pac-12) lost their second in a row Saturday, 60-45 at Utah. The Utes built a double-digit lead multiple times in the first half after taking advantage of a pair of prolonged shooting droughts by California. Eight different players scored to help the Utes earn their second straight Pac-12 victory. Utah also beat the Bears for the third straight time in the series.
“We just played like a tired team,” California coach Mark Fox said. “They were the aggressors and we didn’t finish enough plays. You have to score when you’re on the road and we didn’t do that.”
Matt Bradley was the lone Bear to score in double figures as he scored 13 points and collected seven rebounds. Bradley owned a career-long 8-game streak with multiple 3-pointers but went 1-for-5 against the Utes to snap the streak.
Bradley has reached double figures in all but one game this season (vs. Duke). He ranks 89th nationally with his 17.6 points per game. Bradley ranks among the top 100 players in the nation for his free throw shooting, including: free throw percentage (64th, 85.1) and free throws made (92nd, 97).
California is 4-1 at home in league play this year, with the Bears’ loss coming 77-72 vs. No. 11 Oregon. Bradley is averaging 21 points through those five games, and Paris Austin is averaging 13.0 points. Grant Anticevich averages 9.4 points and 6.8 rebounds at home against Pac-12 opponents.
- Cal’s last win over Arizona — home or away — was a one-point victory over the then-No. 12 Wildcats, 74-73, in Haas on Jan. 23, 2016.
- California are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games.
- California are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
Arizona vs California Expert Prediction
Arizona 70, California 61
