Washington State vs Oregon: Predictions, Odds, Best Bets (3/9/23) – NCAAB

Washington State faces off against Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals. Washington State is coming off a blowout win against California to start the tournament, while Oregon had a bye and is coming a home win against Stanford. My prediction is that Oregon covers the -2.5 spread against Washington State. Washington State is playing very well right now, but the athletes Oregon has are the difference. Let’s take a look at the odds and make some picks and predictions for this game!

Washington State vs. Oregon Prediction

Oregon is still on the bubble and they have a huge opportunity in this tournament. It starts with Washington State today.

N’Faly Dante is a beast down low for Oregon and is a matchup nightmare. He leads the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game, in rebounds at 8 per game, and steals at 1 steal per game. Jermaine Couisnard is up next in scoring and he averages 13 PPG. He’s playing very well recently too. Will Richardson is one of the main leaders for the Ducks at point guard. He’s third in scoring at 12.5 PPG and then also leads the team in assists at 5 per game and then in steals at 1.5 per game. Keeshawn Barthelemy is another key piece for the Ducks he averages 9 PPG and also leads the team in three-point shooting at 37.8%.

Oregon is one of the best defensive teams in the Pac-12 this season. They give up 66.7 PPG and then also score 71 PPG on offense.

On the other side, Washington State has been inconsistent, but has really come on strong recently, by winning seven games in a row.

TJ Bamba is the best player on the Cougars this season. He leads the team in scoring at 16 points per game and then in steals at 1 per game. Mouhamed Gueye has become one of the best big men in the Pac-12 too. He’s second in scoring at 14 PPG and then he also leads the team in rebounds at 8.5 per game and then in blocks at 1 per game. Justin Powell has been good in the backcourt to help TJ Bamba. He averages 10 PPG and also leads the team in assists at 3 per game. DJ Rodman is another key piece to look at for the Cougars who provides help on the perimeter. He averages 9 PPG.

Washington State is also one of the best defensive teams in the Pac-12 this year. They give up 65 PPG, which is good for 44th in all of college basketball. They also score 68 PPG.

This game has potential to be a slugfest because of how well each team defends. Oregon is the lean in this spot because they’re the better team with better athletes. Oregon is also going to be playing fired up because they’re still on the bubble. Take the Ducks here to cover and win a very close game.

Washington State vs. Oregon Prediction: Oregon -2.5

Washington State vs. Oregon Odds

Oregon is a 2.5-point favorite against Washington State and is at -140 on the money line. The over/under is also at 134. It makes sense that Oregon is favored because they’ve been the better team all season, despite Washington State playing better recently. The over/under also makes sense because each team can score, but they’re also much better on defense.

Washington State vs. Oregon Key Matchups

Can Mouhamed Gueye matchup with N’Faly Dante? Can Will Richardson matchup with TJ Bamba?

N’Faly Dante vs Mouhamed Gueye

N’Faly Dante is a beast down low for the Ducks. He averages 13.5 points, 1 assist, and 8 rebounds per game for the season. He’ll be matched up against Mouhamed Gueye, who averages 14 points, 2 assists, and 8.5 rebounds per game for the season. These are two beasts of big men that can get their points easily. Dante is the biggest reason why I think Oregon covers the 2.5-point spread against Washington State.

TJ Bamba vs Will Richardson

TJ Bamba has been great for the Cougars this season. He averages 16 points, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds per game for the season. He’ll be matched up against Will Richardson most of the game, who averages 12.5 points, 5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game for the season. These are the two best guards on their teams. Bamba is the biggest reason why Oregon might not cover, my prediction, so Richardson has his hands full in this matchup.