Washington State vs. Oregon NCAA Basketball Picks and Odds Analysis (Archive)
Our focus on Monday’s sports betting calendar is a makeup game out in the Pac-12 where the Washington State Cougars head to Eugene to take on Will Richardson and the Oregon Ducks. Here is all you need to know for your best bets.
Washington State Cougars vs. Oregon Ducks
Monday, February 14, 2022 – 09:00 PM EST at Matthew Knight Arena
Washington State and Oregon are each coming off losses on Saturday as they make the quick turnaround for Monday night’s NCAAB matchup at Matthew Knight Arena. And like everyone else in the Pac-12, the Cougars and Ducks are each looking to keep pace, at the very least, with the Arizona Wildcats at the top of the conference ranks.
A little 2-game skid is what Washington State will be trying to stop, the Cougars suddenly finding themselves in sixth place of the Pac-12 after beginning last week in a tie for fourth. Though they still rank well ahead of Oregon on the Ken Pomeroy chart, the Cougars are on the outside looking in for the NCAA Tournament and need a strong close on the schedule to go dancing.
The Ducks, tied for third in the Pac-12 and one of the league favorites on the college basketball futures, are on the tourney bubble and can ill-afford many missteps.
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For those who are not still heavy into their Valentine’s Day dates – or never had one, to begin with – ESPNU will carry the broadcast. And for those of you interested in wagering the contest, the Ducks are running -3½ to -4 at top-rated sportsbooks with 134 for the total.
Washington State was part of our free college basketball picks schedule last week when the Cougars hosted Arizona, and the No. 4 Wildcats left Pullman with a 72-60 triumph. The Cougars were getting 6½ in that Thursday night tussle and basically lost that one during a 7+ minute scoring drought in the first half when the Wildcats went on a 13-zip run.
Apparently still upset by the loss, Kyle Smith’s crew then went out and laid an egg on Saturday against Arizona State. Favored by 10½ on their home floor, the Cougars struggled to score while the Sun Devils shot nearly 50% and led most of the second half. Washington State had chances galore throughout the game, but couldn’t take advantage of late ASU turnovers to pull ahead or at least force overtime.
Ducks Quack Up in Upset Loss to Cal
Dana Altman’s dudes also spent last week at home, splitting games with Stanford and California while failing to cover the college basketball odds in either one. That leaves the Ducks 2-4 ATS in their last half-dozen and 9-14 ATS on the season.
Oregon was giving up 8½ to Stanford last Thursday, and though the Ducks led for the final 36 minutes of the game, the 68-60 final fell just short of a cover. De'Vion Harmon led the way with 21, and a 7+ minute spell in the second half when the team scored just 1 point spelled doom for Oregon backers.
At least the Ducks managed to beat the Cardinal. Oregon was giving up 14½ to Cal on Saturday, and the Golden Bears turned the tables around by pulling off a 14-point win of their own in a 78-64 upset. The Ducks shot a dismal 5-27 (18.5%) from beyond the arc and completely fell apart in the first half when the Golden Bears went on a 24-0 run.
Historic 300th Meeting in Rivalry
Washington State was supposed to travel to Oregon nearly four weeks ago before flu issues within the Cougars’ program halted that. The Cougars will be looking to win their third win in a row in the rivalry for the first time since they won 6-straight over a 2-season span from 2008-2009. The Ducks still own a healthy 172-127 lead in the series. Washington’s State’s two recent wins both came as sizable underdogs at online betting sites.
Ironically, the lone matchup last season came after a long pause on the Oregon schedule, though that didn’t stop the oddsmakers from making the Ducks an 11½-point favorite. Perhaps insulted by the spread, the Cougars survived a couple of prolonged scoring droughts to pull off the 74-71 upset in Eugene. The teams combined for 11 points in the final 30 seconds to send the game past a 136-point total, stopping a string of five consecutive ‘unders’ in their matchups.
Stuffing this makeup into their schedules means both teams will have a busy week with three games on the slate. All three for Washington State will be on the road, and my play is the Ducks rebound from Saturday’s debacle with a home cover tonight.
NCAAB Pick: Oregon -3½ (-109) at GTbets (visit our GTbets Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.