Written by Rohit Ghosh
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Pac-12 Tournament Preview - 2017
The Pac-12 Tournament tips off Wednesday in Las Vegas, with top four seeds Oregon, Arizona, UCLA, and Utah each earning first round byes. Oregon's win over rival Oregon State this past Saturday secured a No. 1 spot in this tourney, making sure neither UCLA or Arizona would be in their side of the bracket.
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Oregon is favored to repeat as Pac-12 champs, listed at at +160 on the money line in Vegas. UCLA shows some more value at +170, entering the conference tournament on a nine-game winning streak. Oregon's recent play caught the eyes of some scouts around the nation and the +265 ML odds is fairly attractive. The Ducks head into the tournament winning eight of nine games, going 6-2-1 against the spread (ATS) in that stretch. Utah's listed at +1200.
There's no ifs ands or buts - either UCLA, Arizona or Oregon will win this tournament. And a big-time performance could impact seeding for the big dance.
AccuScore has expert picks against the spread & on over/unders for every game...see all game picks here: College Basketball Expert Picks
2016-17 PAC-12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP ODDS
(as of March 6)
• Oregon +160
• UCLA +170
• Arizona +265
• Utah +1200
• California +1400
• USC +2500
• Colorado +3300
• Stanford +4000
• Arizona State +6600
• Washington State +10000
• Washington +15000
• Oregon State +20000
What to Watch For
Seeding: Oregon is currently projected to be a No. 2 seed in the West bracket, but a dominating performance in the Pac-12 tourney could help make a case for the No. 1 seed. An early exit could even cost them the No. 2 seed. The Ducks play Thursday against the winner of Arizona State (8) and Stanford (9).
Huskies & Trojans: Markelle Fultz and Washington take on USC in the first round Wednesday. The Huskies head into the matchup with the third-worst opponent offensive rating in the nation. Despite Fultz's individual brilliance, the lack of consistency in play from the roster has led to a largely sub-par season. Fultz won't be playing in the tournament (knee) and they just don't take care of the ball well enough to be competitive without him. Watch for SC to get a fairly easy win and build some momentum as a dark horse in the tournament.
Ball Must Lead the Way: Six different Bruins average double-digit scoring, led by guard Lonzo Ball who's making a name for himself as one of the best players in the country. Despite T.J. Leaf's uncertainty for the Pac-12 tourney, the Bruins are expected to make it to the final round. Their first game will be Thursday against the winning of Washington/USC, intriguing since USC did get a win earlier in the season over UCLA.
Picks
Analyst's Pick: It's tough to not pick the defending champ Oregon Ducks. Dillon Brooks is playing some of the best ball in the nation and their depth and experience gives them the slight nod over UCLA and Arizona. I'll take Oregon over UCLA in the final round.
Dark Horse: In terms of value, though, the best pick is Arizona. Losses to Arizona and UCLA lowered their value a bit, but the talent is there for a run.
