Pac-12 Regular Season Champion Odds Update
Arizona Setting the Pace in the 2024 Pac-12 Basketball Futures Odds
Arizona Is The Overwhelming Favorite to Win the Pac-12 Title
The final year of the Pac-12 before most of the programs head off to greener pastures has produced more bark than bite as Arizona is the team ranked in the national polls.
The Wildcats also lead the way in the 2024 Pac-12 Basketball Futures Odds at -950.
When the season started, Arizona was priced at +200 to win the Pac-12 title, followed by USC at +300, UCLA at +400, Colorado at +650, and Oregon, which had +900 Pac-12 title odds. Colorado (+1000), Oregon (+1200), and Washington State (+1200) are the closest competitors to the Wildcats.
Arizona is also setting the pace in the Pac-12 with a 14-8 record against the spread, followed by Oregon’s 13-9 mark.
When it comes to the odds to win March Madness, Arizona leads the way among Pac-12 teams at +1400, followed by Oregon (+8000), Utah (+8000), and Colorado (+10000).
Arizona, Colorado, and Utah are still undefeated at home, while Oregon is the only Pac-12 team with a winning record on the road when looking at the Pac-12 basketball standings. Arizona is 3-2 against teams ranked in the top 25 in the Associated Press poll. The rest of the Pac-12 has a 6-17 record against ranked teams.
Here’s a breakdown of the Pac-12 Conference race with Arizona holding down sole possession of first place, but six teams are within two games of first place.
Leading the Pack
Arizona is the clear betting favorite to win the Pac-12 regular-season title for the second time in the last three seasons. However, the Wildcats only have a one-game lead in the Pac-12 standings despite being the prohibitive favorite according to the 2024 Pac-12 basketball futures odds.
The addition of former North Carolina guard Caleb Love has helped Arizona live up to some hype as the Pac-12 front-runner and a national title contender. San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson is another double-digit scorer, along with returning starters Oumar Bello and Pelle Larsson.
UCLA Ready to Make a Run?
The hiring of Mick Cronin at UCLA was a curious one, as he was best known for his crappy Cincinnati teams that fought their way to victory in low-scoring affairs. He headed to Hollywood, where entertainment value is critical.
The Bruins stumbled out of the block after being viewed as one of the top Pac-12 contenders coming into the season.
The Bruins have won four college basketball games in a row to move into sole possession of fourth place in the Pac-12 standings.
Although UCLA is just 4-4 on the road, the Bruins have covered in six of those games. According to the 2024 Pac-12 basketball futures odds, UCLA’s conference title odds have tumbled to +7500.
Freshman Sebastian Mack leads the Bruins in scoring, followed by sophomores Adem Bona and Dylan Andrews.
Still in the Running
When the season began, only Oregon State had the longest Pac-12 championship odds than Washington State.
However, the Cougars are just a game in the back of Arizona with nine conference games left to play.
Oregon, fifth in the Pac-12 odds when the NCAAB season began, is also sitting at 7-4 in conference play.
The Cougars and Ducks will meet on Saturday in Eugene, with Oregon looking to sweep the season series.
Washington State got 24 points and 13 rebounds to upset Arizona last month, while Oregon fell 87-78 in the first meeting of the season against the Wildcats.
Don’t Throw in the Towel
There is a bit of a logjam in the middle of the Pac-12 standings. Colorado and Utah are the best of the rest at 6-5 in Pac-12 play, and that leaves them just two games behind the first-place Wildcats.
Cal and Stanford are 6-6, and Arizona State is 5-6 in the Pac-12.
Those five NCAAB teams are a combined 48-12 at home compared to 9-23 on the road.
Colorado is 0-4 against the spread as a road underdog, while Utah isn’t much better at 1-3.
A Look At the Numbers
Arizona is the only Pac-12 team to appear in the top 25 in the national polls as the eighth-ranked Wildcats moved up three spots in the Associated Press poll and jump four positions in the USA Today coaches poll. Washington State is the only other Pac-12 team to receive votes in the Associated Press poll.
When looking at the NCAA basketball predictions, the question is how many teams from the Pac-12 would get into the NCAA tournament if Arizona sweeps the regular season and conference championships.
Arizona is currently fourth in the NCAA NET rankings, one of the tools used to select the at-large teams and to seed the March Madness field.
The next Pac-12 team is No. 30 Colorado. However, a 1-4 record in Quad 1 games is a bit concerning. No. 35 Utah also has a losing mark against Quad 1 teams.
No. 41 Washington State is the only other top-50 team from the Pac-12.
For NCAA basketball betting lines, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
