When No. 4 Arizona and No. 13 Buffalo square off in their 2018 NCAA Tournament opener on Thursday night, only one question needs to be asked: Can the ‘drama-plagued’ Wildcats avoid the upset to cover the chalk against their lower-seeded opponents? If you’re looking for some NCAA Basketball odds analysis, then look no further. This contest is offering a great chance to win and cash in!
“Deandre, the dominance that he put forth – if there’s another player better, I’d like to meet him,” coach Sean Miller told reporters. “He absolutely was a one-man wrecking crew.”
In addition to Ayton, the Wildcats’ frontcourt includes sweet-shooting junior forward Allonzo Trier (18.4 ppg) and 7-foot senior Dusan Ristic, who averages 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. Senior point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright started all 34 games for the Wildcats, who averaged 80.9 points per game coming into this contest.
Bulls vs. Wildcats NCAA Basketball Odds & Pick
The @USBWA gives another First Team All-America nod for @DeandreAyton. #APlayersProgram pic.twitter.com/ELvO8XP8Qw
— Arizona Basketball (@APlayersProgram) 12 de marzo de 2018
- When: Thursday, March 15, 2018, 9:40 PM ET
- Where: Taco Bell Arena, Boise, Idaho
- TV: CBS
- Radio: TuneIn
- Live Stream: MM Live
- NCAA Basketball Odds: Arizona Wildcats -8.5 (Over/Under at 157.5 points)
Team Records
- All: Buffalo Bulls 26-8 / Arizona Wildcats 27-7
- Home: Buffalo Bulls 18-2 / Arizona Wildcats 19-2
- Away: Buffalo Bulls 8-6 / Arizona Wildcats 8-5
- ATS: Buffalo Bulls 16-12-3 / Arizona Wildcats 14-19-1
- Over/Under: Buffalo Bulls 19-12 / Arizona Wildcats 17-17
2018 March Madness Betting Lines & Pick: Lumberjacks vs. Red Raiders
Why Consider Betting on Buffalo at +8.5?
Why should you consider betting on Buffalo? Well, because the Bulls are red-hot, having won six straight games and well, Arizona has more drama than a prime-time soap opera. The Bulls set a school record for wins this season and are the proud owners of the sixth-best offense in the country at 84.8 points per game. Buffalo won three straight conference tourney games and defeated Toledo 76-66 in the Mid-American Conference Tournament title tilt last weekend. Senior guard Wes Clark, a transfer from Missouri, won the MAC Tournament MVP after dropping 26 points on the Rockets in the championship game. “Oh, man, it’s going to be special. Hopefully, I can get past the jitters,” Clark said. “I’ve never played in anything as big as the NCAA Tournament. I’m just grateful to be out there.” Junior guard CJ Massenburg led the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game but was held to four points on 1-of-7 shooting in the championship game against Toledo. Junior forwards Nick Perkins and Jeremy Harris average 16.6 and 15.4 points per game respectively while Clark chips in 14.6 points per game.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 84.79
- Field Goal Percentage: 47.39
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.09
- Free Throw Percentage: 69.67
- Total Rebounds: 39.00
- Total Score: 75.85
- Field Goal Percentage: 42.47
- Three-Point Percentage: 33.09
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.49
- Total Rebounds: 36.47
Why Consider Betting On Arizona at -8.5?
Why should you consider betting on Arizona? Well, because the Wildcats have a ton of elite talent and at least two future NBA performers, not to mention the fact that they finally seem to be playing to their full potential at just the right time. The fourth-seeded Wildcats have won five straight and claimed both the Pac-12 regular-season title and the conference tournament championship title by beating USC 75-61 on this past Saturday. Arizona has four double-digit scorers and is led by 7-1 freshman Deandre Ayton, a national Player of the Year candidate. The blossoming big man averaged 32 points and 16 rebounds in back-to-back wins over UCLA and USC in the Pac-12 Tournament.
“Deandre, the dominance that he put forth – if there’s another player better, I’d like to meet him,” coach Sean Miller told reporters. “He absolutely was a one-man wrecking crew.”
In addition to Ayton, the Wildcats’ frontcourt includes sweet-shooting junior forward Allonzo Trier (18.4 ppg) and 7-foot senior Dusan Ristic, who averages 12.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. Senior point guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright started all 34 games for the Wildcats, who averaged 80.9 points per game coming into this contest.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 80.88
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.52
- Three-Point Percentage: 37.66
- Free Throw Percentage: 76.13
- Total Rebounds: 36.65
- Total Score: 71.18
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.12
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.19
- Free Throw Percentage: 73.22
- Total Rebounds: 29.03
Latest NCAA Basketball Betting Trends
- Buffalo is 4-7-2 ATS in its last 13 games
- Buffalo is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone OVER in 9 of Buffalo’s last 12 games
- Arizona is 9-3 ATS in its last 12 games when playing USC
- Arizona is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing USC
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Arizona’s last 9 games
