NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets sets out on a fun voyage. It is one of our favorite staples from the college football season. That is correct. It is time for a little “PAC-12 After Dark” clash between UCLA and Arizona State. The Sun Devils entertain the Bruins in a game starting after 10:30 pm ET. VegasBetting asks if it is a winning night for Arizona State in a huge spot. First, let’s take a peek at UCLA.
NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets showing some love for this PAC-12 matchup is not surprising. Think about this. Arizona State is one of the quietest 15-win teams in the nation. UCLA has been ranked in or around the top ten for the better part of the last month. Fans and pundits will notice when a 16-2 team faces a 15-3 squad. Also, schools are back in session. That gets even more fans in the seats.
Now, UCLA comes in with a 13-game winning streak. A few of these wins have not come to the easy route. There was that nail-biter against USC (60-58) and that road win at Washington State (67-66). Furthermore, the Bruins’ scoring rate dropped slightly before the Winter Break. In four past five contests, UCLA failed to score above 70 points. Could the Bruins just be given credit for finding ways to win?
No. 5 UCLA faces stern test at Arizona St. #UCLA #Bruins #SunDevilHoops #ASU https://t.co/roasC7i7XO
— FieldLevelMedia (@FieldLevelMedia) January 18, 2023
The Bruins faced stern tests before tonight’s game too. UCLA has faced seven PAC-12 opponents and won seven times. Can UCLA make it 8 for 8? Utah and Colorado provided a reprieve and a chance for the Bruins to clamp down defensively. They allowed 54 and 49 points in those games. UCLA comes into this Thursday night contest allowing 59.8 points per game (13th in the nation).
So, NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets examine some wagers and hope not to suffer a late-night heartbreaker. Can UCLA win in a very tough building on Thursday night? Will they get enough contributions from their forwards? UCLA holds the RSCI Top 100 edge by seven to six. More importantly, the Bruins want to be the team, but can they cover (Bovada Online Sportsbook), or will UCLA falter?
What about looking at the lines in NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets and going outright? Early in the season, teams sometimes suffer from odd results. That 37-point loss to San Francisco comes to mind immediately for the Arizona State Sun Devils. It was a night where San Francisco pushed the tempo with their guard play, and every shot seemed to fall.
There is a sense that both teams could end up around 70 points on Thursday night. PAC-12 contests recently clustered around this number as UCLA and Arizona State have played more of this place than not. Opponents shoot 40.5% against the Bruins and 37.7% against the Sun Devils. Warren Washington helps control the paint for Arizona State. UCLA figures to see not too many uncontested looks at the basket.
Hurley on Warren Washington: “He does so many things to help us win… There’s a lot of ways that he can score.”
— DevilsDigest.com (@DevilsDigest) January 17, 2023
Now, Bobby Hurley represents one of the more respected college minds, period. The Hurley family is famous for their coaching and playing talents. All that said, this Sun Devils team is not 15-3 by accident. Their guard play mirrors the UCLA team in a lot of ways. An argument can be crafted that Arizona State has an equal or better front court, too defensively.
Lastly, betting experts see that UCLA scores nearly 62% of its points inside the three-point arc. The key for Arizona State is matching the Bruins’ intensity. UCLA forces turnovers at a rate of almost 25% during their winning streak. The Sun Devils reached that level several times in the past five games. When those Sun Devils buckle down defensively, they can beat anyone, including UCLA. Taking Arizona State by surprise is not that surprising.
The NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets looks at a game with a game that features tendencies to both the over and the under. Honestly, a case could be made for both. On the other hand, trends suggest this will be very close either way. In their last two road contests, UCLA came close to that magic 135 number. Arizona State blew past that total in seven of their previous eight games.
So, ideally, both teams play very well on the defensive side of the ball in the conference. However, Arizona State tends to push the pace, which leaves them vulnerable sometimes to penetration. Yes, their frontcourt repels that thrust at times. The keyword is sometimes. Who gets to the free-throw line more in this game could be key to scoring. Hey, free points are free points.
I'm told that FS1 announcers will be doing the UCLA-ASU game here on Thursday, remotely. That's hard to fathom for a game of that magnitude
— Michelle Gardner (@MGardnerSports) January 17, 2023
Yes, this is where the game gets weird. That is no misprint. FS1 announcers will call this tilt remotely. Arguably, this is a top-25 matchup. Let us be blunt about this. If these two teams played in the final of the PAC-12 tournament, no one would be surprised. Surely, that gets televised. This will be an entertaining game that deserves the bells and whistles. Even fans and pundits understand that concept.
For the NCAA Basketball PAC-12 Bets, picking the over here at a raucous Tempe, Arizona arena feels like a good plan for Thursday night. The atmosphere expects to be charged, and hey, let’s get some big Betting Site Bonuses here to help out.
Are there more options for betting? Check these NCAAB online betting sites from Vegas. Good luck tonight!
Summary
Chris Wassel AA, AAS CURRENTLY Sports Writer and Journalist RESIDES IN Rahway, NJ EDUCATION Union County College, Montclair State University EXPERTISE Business, Writing, Sports, Food, Grilling, Olympics, Injuries, Politics, and more Summary Member of FSWA, FSGA, and a variety of Sports Betting Groups. Works on injuries for a variety of sites. Edits articles from NASCAR to football and beyond. Occasionally runs sites like mynhltraderumor.com and Full Press Hockey/Bets. Does a podcast for Full Press Hockey and a few other sports too. Experience Chris Wassel has 20+ years of sports journalistic experience in various disciplines. His ability to play sports is well documented. Most people in the business just write. However, Chris will race cars and even a super Moto bike from time to time. There is that fitness and hiking/cycling aspect too. Chris has climbed mountains from Mount Washington to Mount San Jacinto in Palm Springs, California. For those that do not know. Chris also dabbles in food eating contests and challenges. Having a unique background with friends including Joey Chestnut and Casey Webb, Chris has the ability to eat a whole 16-pound turkey or a 32 inch meat lover's pizza. Since 2013, Chris does focus on things like fitness, fishing, and sports. One would be surprised that Chris runs, hikes, and rock climbs. There are even those occasional mini-triathlons. One truly can pack a lot in a small package. Chris can lift things over his body weight with ease. Also, if there is a NASCAR rain prop, Chris can tell you if there will be a Monday race. Throughout his career, Chris has worked at a wide range of places from Amazon to USA Today to a variety of rumors and fantasy sports sites. Finally, Chris has been nominated for quite a few awards from the Fantasy Sports Writers Association for Hockey Writer Of The Year. Also, there have been a number of high-stakes fantasy trophies and rings that Chris sports in his house. Education Chris received an Associates from Union Country College for business and accounting. Chris did sports journalism work at Montclair State University covering the hockey, baseball, and football teams. Quote from Chris Wassel "Shut up and play.”
Education
1999 Graduate of Union County College
1993 Graduate of Rahway High School
Professional Achievements
Media credentialed member of the New Jersey Devils since 2010
Covered several NHL Drafts including the one day event in Newark in 2013
Been on countless podcasts, TV shows, and more including Sportsnet and even NHL Network