Oregon vs Arizona Odds & Prediction: Will Wildcats Roll?

The Oregon Ducks could use a huge win to get onto the NCAA tournament radar — and beating the Arizona Wildcats in Tucson would fit the bill.

Where does the betting value lie in this Pac-12 clash? Let's dive into the Oregon Ducks vs. Arizona Wildcats odds and make a prediction for Saturday's game in our college basketball betting preview for March 2.

The Ducks have endured ups and downs because of injuries, which set the season back a bit. Now, Oregon is 19-9 overall and 11-6 in Pac-12 play with three more games left. Oregon already pulled off a huge road win over Washington State and still has a chance at an at-large bid, but it must win this game to give the selection committee something to think about.

Oregon is painfully average. It ranks 61st in KenPom and only ranks inside the top 50 in one category: steal percentage.

The Ducks rank 62nd in offensive efficiency and 72nd in defensive efficiency, and the latter causes a lot of Oregon’s problems. Most of Dana Altman’s successful teams in Eugene successfully parlay defensive success into offensive output. That’s not the case this season, as the defense has struggled.

When Oregon shows its upside, guards Jackson Shelstad and Jermaine Couisnard are hitting shots.

Shelstad has dealt with inconsistent play, which isn't anything new for a freshman. It becomes an issue because Oregon's offense relies on his scoring. Shelstad pulled a disappearing act in Oregon's loss to Cal last Saturday, scoring seven points on 2-of-11 shooting.

On the other hand, Couisnard's numbers leveled out during conference play. He started the year shooting better than any of his other four college seasons, but is now shooting just 39% from the field and 34% from 3.

I think Arizona is the most polarizing team in America.

There are two camps of thought: Either you think Arizona is good enough to win the national championship or you think they have no business occupying the final No. 1 seed. My belief is Arizona could win the whole thing, because when it's going good for the Wildcats, it's national title good.

The Wildcats flash dominance on both ends, ranking seventh in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency. On offense, Arizona wants to grab the rebound and push in transition for a quick basket inside, as it only shoots 3s on 31% of field goal attempts.

Polarizing also fits the general consensus on Caleb Love, who should win Pac-12 Player of the Year.

Love has translated to the West Coast nicely, averaging 19 points per game and shooting a career-best 43% from the field and 36% from 3. While those numbers don't jump off the page, Love shooting 36% from 3 is vastly different than what he shot at North Carolina last year.

The key for the Wildcats? Kylan Boswell. The sophomore point guard has scored six or fewer points in all four of the Wildcats' conference losses. The 6-foot-2 guard has struggled recently but went for 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting in Arizona's rivalry win over Arizona State.

Arizona is at the point where it's laying double-digit points in every conference home game. Despite laying large numbers, the Wildcats are still 18-10 against the spread. That ranks in the top 20 in the country at covering the spread.

Arizona cruised against Oregon in Eugene earlier this season by pushing the pace, which is where the Wildcats are most comfortable. Oregon doesn't want a shootout, while Arizona thrives in that setting. I'm backing the Wildcats here.

Pick: Arizona -13.5 (Play to -14)