Pac-10 Tournament Betting - Huskies Face Tough Road To Repeat
It seems somewhat ironic now that one of the two schools that were opposed to postseason play has now won the most conference championships, but that is the case heading into this year’s PAC-10 tournament. The top-seeded Arizona Wildcats have won four PAC-10 titles overall, but none since Luke Walton led them pas the USC Trojans back in 2002. Led by Derrick Williams, the Wildcats are hoping that the momentum of consecutive wins to close out the college basketball betting regular season will carry through and help them to a fifth championship.
The Wildcats will have to wait until after the opening round to determine which team they play, awaiting the winner of a matchup featuring the Oregon State Beavers and the Stanford Cardinal. The second-seeded UCLA Bruins will also have to wait to see which team they will face, as they prepare to take on either the Arizona State Sun Devils or the Oregon Ducks. The Bruins are second only to Arizona in terms of conference championships with three, with their most recent coming in 2008. UCLA has looked brilliant at times this season, but there are sports betting bonus concerns about a young team that has been prone to turning the ball over far too much. The trifecta of Reeves Nelson, Malcolm Lee, and Tyler Honeycutt have all averaged over 12 points per game this season, but are all underclassmen and will be asked to perform under pressure in the postseason.
There are two quarterfinal matchups that have already been solidified, with action beginning this Thursday with a matchup fit for its setting. The Trojans and California Golden Bears were the final two teams to commit to the tournament, but didn’t agree to join until they confirmed that the Staples Center in Los Angeles would be the designated arena for tournament play. Fast-froward to 2011 and it will be USC and California clashing on the court, with the Trojans’ top-ranked defense looking to make life miserable for a Golden Bears’ team that has been to the PAC-10 tournament finals twice but never won. Nikola Vucevic has been the offensive star for USC all season with an average of over 17 points per game, but will need more help from his supporting cast in the postseason.
The final quarterfinal matchup will feature an in-state battle between the third-seeded Washington Huskies and the sixth-seeded Washington State Cougars. The Huskies are the defending conference betting champions after taking down California in last year’s title game, and has looked good this season with an average of 84 points per game, which is the best mark in the PAC-10. Washington is also second in rebounding margin and blocked shots, making them one of the most complete threats in the tournament. They should have no problem in the opening round against a Cougars’ team that will have guard Klay Thompson back in the lineup for the first time since he was suspended by the team for marijuana possession. Washington State’s defense has been solid, but it’s hard to see their offense being able to do enough even if they manage to slow the powerful Huskies’ attack.
