Ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in 16 years, No. 21 Washington State looks to pull a major upset on Thursday in Pac-12 action when the Cougars visit No. 4 Arizona in a battle for first place in the league. 2024 NCAA Basketball Betting & Expert Analysis #21 Washington State vs. #4 Arizona | MyBookie Sportsbook Week 16 NCAAB

How to Bet Washington State at Arizona NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

Where: McKale Center
TV: Fox Sports 1
Stream: Fox Sports Live
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAB Lines: Arizona -12 (total 150.5)

Why Bet on Washington State Cougars?

Stanford’s largest lead of the game came with 15:32 left in the second half, 47-42, with Brandon Angel and Kaanan Carlyle making back-to-back baskets while being fouled. The Cougars responded with a 21-6 run to take control and secure the result.

Jaylen Wells and Isaac Jones scored 15 points each with Jones going over 1,000 in his career for the Cougars. Andrej Jakimovski hit a 3-pointer for the 15th and final lead change and began a 16-2 run that he finished with another 3-pointer and a layup for a 68-55 lead at the final media timeout. He finished with 13 points. Myles Rice, who set a WSU freshman record with 35 points in the Cougars’ 89-75 win over Stanford on Jan. 18, was held to four in the first half but rebounded to hit a couple 3-pointers and lead the Cougars with 10 second-half points. Oscar Cluff grabbed 12 rebounds.

The Cougars recorded five team blocks and moved into sixth for most blocked shots in a season all-time with 137 (passed 2010-11 season when it recorded 136 blocks in a season). For the second time this season and second time in program history, Washington State swept the weekly media awards with Jones and Rice earning Pac-12 Player and Freshman of the Week, respectively.

Jones became the first Cougar since CJ Elleby to eclipse 1,000 points. The fifth-year senior has scored 10+ points in all but two games this season. Over the weekend, Rice moved to second all-time in WSU freshman steals history, fifth in made free throws, sixth in freshman season assists. Rice is the only high-major freshman leading his team in scoring, assists, and steals.

“There’s no doubt it’s an accomplishment,” WSU head coach Kyle Smith said of the ranking. “To be able to be ranked, is really like we’re the new faces. And, you know, we, as a staff, we thought we had good personnel. But, to actually be able to do it is really, it’s hard. To be able to kind of put ourselves in that rare air, it’s awesome. Right now, this is the best team we’ve had in five years.”

Bet Washington State to Win
Vegas College Basketball Odds

Why Bet on Arizona Wildcats?

Arizona (20-5, 11-3) won its sixth game in a row Saturday, 105-60 over rival Arizona State. Arizona shot 57% from the floor and had a 52-16 advantage in the paint to give Tommy Lloyd his 81st win, most in major-conference history by a coach in his first three seasons at a school.

ASU initially matched the intensity of the home Wildcats as the Sun Devils jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead behind the strong start of Jose Perez. ASU managed to push their lead back out to five, moving ahead 20-15 with 12:38 left in the first half. Foul trouble would plague the visitors the remainder of the half, a contributing factor to Arizona going on several scoring runs. Despite the efforts of Perez (9 points) and Jamiya Neal (6 points & 4 rebounds), Arizona State went into the half trailing 49-31 and really the game was over.

Guard Caleb Love had 15 points and is 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award. Love is second in the Pac-12 in scoring in conference play at 20.5 ppg.

The Arizona offense has posted a 10-0 run 25 times this season, the second-most in the country. Conversely, the Arizona defense has surrendered just six runs of 10-0 or better.

This week, Arizona gave Lloyd a five-year contract extension that will keep him in Tucson until at least 2029. The Cats are poised for another Pac-12 championship this season and were a 1-seed in the NCAA tournament selection committee’s mock bracket reveal Saturday. Before going to Arizona, Lloyd spent the first 21 seasons of his coaching career at Gonzaga as an assistant under Mark Few.

Lloyd is 45-2 at McKale Center as the head coach of Arizona (13-0 this year). That .957 winning percentage is the best home winning percentage in the country over that span. Arizona is 3-2 against ranked opponents this season and 14-6 in Lloyd’s tenure. It’s the third-best winning percentage in the country vs. ranked teams (Purdue, FAU).

Bet Arizona to Win
College Basketball Betting Lines

#21 Washington State vs #4 Arizona Expert Prediction

Arizona 80, Washington State 70

NCAA Basketball Odds to Win Championship – Top 10

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