Recent off court news has been as exciting as on game action in the Pac 12 Conference. Sean Miller was nearly fired as head coach of Arizona last week. But out of nowhere he emerged as the potential victim of Yellow Journalism. Jay Bilas of ESPN called for Miller’s head based on a blockbuster story by is employer. ESPN claimed that Miller was a major figure with the recent FBI scandal dominating college hoops. But Miller countered with a strong defense that saved his job. This week however NCAA Basketball Championship Odds attention on Arizona returns to the hardwood.
2018 Pac 12 Conference Tournament
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 7 through Saturday, March 10, 2018
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada
NCAA Betting Online Odds at SBG: Click here!
2018 Pac 12 Tournament TV Coverage: Pac 12 Network and FS1
Pac 12 Tournament
Pac 12 Tournament action will have an action-packed start. Hoops junkies will get their fix on both Wednesday and Thursday. Four games are on the card for each of those days. Semifinal doubleheader action takes place on Friday. FS1 will televise the championship game on Saturday night.
Arizona Wildcats
Lost in the noise this week is that the Arizona Wildcats are champs of the Pac 12 Conference. But their NCAA Basketball Championship Odds wagering value has been poor. Red ink gushed on Arizona backers this season. Only 11 of the Wildcats 31 matchups were payouts. Amidst the news and noise were three spread losses to end the year. Freshman forward DeAndre Ayton has been a sensation. Ayton leads the Wildcats with 20 points and 11 rebounds per game.
USC Trojans
Quietly emerging as a top notch Online sportsbook betting value has been the USC Trojans. Andy Enfield’s team has methodically improved each season under his leadership. Surprisingly, the Men of Troy won 19 of 30 games vs. the line this year. USC closed well with three covers in their final four tilts. Over the total cleared in just ten of 30 Trojan contests.
UCLA Bruins
Blue Blood Pac 12 pedigree belongs to the UCLA Bruins. With that national notoriety comes the danger of overlays. Public money consistently flows to the UCLA brand. Steve Alford’s team closed well with six covers in their final nine games. Offensively the Bruins are among the best with a national ranking of 25th. Offsetting that is an embarrassing defense that ranked 274th. Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh bring plenty of ability. Holiday is a junior guard with a team best 20 points per game. Senior center Welsh had a team high 10.5 rebounds per tilt.
Matchup to Watch
Seems like Arizona is the heavy NCAA Basketball Championship Odds favorite. Bargain hunters may like sneaky Utah. The Utes paid in seven of their last ten while nobody was looking. But there are just two teams with the actual ability to upend Arizona. Crosstown LA rivals USC and UCLA are that pair. And that UCLA offense is hard to ignore. While the Bruins take possessions off defensively they have the ability to stay with anyone. Furthermore, they demonstrated good board value at the close.
Pac 12 Tournament NCAA games Betting Odds Picks
Miller and Arizona may be out of jail, at least for the moment. Questions remain about their viability as a value after a draining week. UCLA looks like the right team at the right time.
NCAA Betting Online Pick: UCLA Bruins
Arizona’s Sean Miller comments to the standing ovation he got after a firestorm week of scandal stories.