Pac-12 Betting Roundup: 2 Solid Days of Basketball Action
UCLA vs USC Highlights Big Matchups

The Pac-12 betting roundup offers a number of solid games on Thursday and Saturday. All four games Thursday have point spreads of 5 points or less, so the schedule is wide open. It’s also a good week for rivalry games, with USC-UCLA meeting Thursday and Stanford vs. California on Saturday.
Thursday, Jan. 26
The Pac-12 betting roundup begins with the ‘Battle of L.A.’ between UCLA (17-3) and USC (14-6). The Bruins are favored by 5 and the total is 131. The Bruins are the better team on offense and defense, but the Trojans create a bit of a matchup problems for the Bruins.
UCLA scores more than 61% of its points from 2-point range, but the Trojans are No. 2 in the country in 2-point defense. UCLA isn’t a bad shooting team from 3-point range, but typically doesn’t shoot a lot from the outside. For the Trojans, the key is cutting down turnovers. Southern Cal makes too many and the Bruins are No. 8 in the country at forcing turnovers.
UCLA’s Amari Bailey has landed on the college basketball injury report after missing the last game with a foot issue. He’s listed as questionable for this one. There is some value on the over 131 provided it doesn’t climb.
Colorado (12-9) visits Oregon (11-9) and the NCAA odds have the Ducks favored by 5 with a total of 139. Colorado’s defense is top-notch, but the offense leaves a bit to be desired at times. Neither team shoots well from 3-point range or the free throw line.
This is a revenge game for the Ducks, who were thumped in Colorado by an 68-41 final score. The line is a shade high but you know you’re going to get the best effort Oregon has. The Ducks look like the right side here.
Arizona (17-3) visits Washington State (9-12) and at some point the Cougars are going to have to run off some victories. Yes, they’ve played a rough schedule and list a few close games but potential only gets you so far in the Pac- 12.
The Wildcats are favored by 4 and the total is 145.5. The line is a shade on the low side but there’s good reason the number is where it is. The Cougars upset the Wildcats in Arizona earlier this month, making this one tough to play.
Arizona State (15-5) visits Washington (12-9) in another late-night game and the Sun Devils are favored by 2.5 with a total of 141.5. Arizona State won by eight points when the teams met in Tempe in a game where neither team shot particularly well.
ASU plays solid defense but both offenses are a little above average and play at a decent pace. With just 24 free throws attempted last game, there could be a little more scoring than there was in the first game, so the over should get a look.
Saturday, Jan. 28
The Pac-12 betting roundup begins Saturday with a decent game between ASU and WSU. Expect the Cougars to be small favorites here. This game will be decided by Washington State’s 3-point shooting. ASU is solid with its 2-point defense, but the Cougars shoot plenty on the outside. And the Sun Devils aren’t as good on defense against the 3-pointer.
The other factor is how much the Thursday games take out of both teams. It’s a short turnaround for both teams but WSU has the edge in getting to remain in Pullman, while the Sun Devils will be traveling across the state. If ASU defeats Washington this could be a good spot for WSU.
The Utes take to the road for a game against Oregon and the Ducks will be favored by about 3 points with a total near 136. The Utes are strong defensively and are capable of shutting down the Oregon offense but Knight Arena isn’t an easy venue to road teams to steal victories in.
Utah is No. 25 in adjusted defensive efficiency and would be higher, but Utah doesn’t get many steals. The Ducks did win 70-60 in Utah earlier this season, so the Utes +3 in a revenge spot looks to be the right side here.
The Pac-12 betting roundup winds down with California visiting Stanford in a game where the Cardinal will be favored by double digits. Stanford isn’t a great team this year, but the Bears are worse. There isn’t much California does well on the basketball court. The Golden Bears don’t shoot well and the defense is below average.
The Cardinal have been looking forward to this game for about three weeks now, as California completely thumped Stanford on Jan. 6. The Bears won 92-70 after going 16-of-22 from 3-point range. That’s not going to happen again. The number is high, but the Cardinal should return the favor in a big way and cover the spread.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
Can’t get enough? Here’s more!
- Pac 12 Basketball Matchups: UCLA at Arizona Game of the Week
- SEC Betting Roundup: Texas A&M vs Kentucky Highlights the Week
- Big 12 Basketball Betting: Wagering on the Nation’s Best Conference
- SEC Basketball Betting Odds: Alabama Favored at Arkansas
- Big 12 Betting Preview: Iowa State at Kansas Game of the Week