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2019 Pac-12 Tournament Odds: Washington Listed as Favorite

Eric Rosales

By Eric Rosales in College Basketball

Updated: March 23, 2020 at 11:04 am EDT

Published:

Matisse Thybulle Washington Huskies
Matisse Thybulle has been a force defensively for the Huskies this season. Photo from @Go_Dawgs_91 (<a href=https://twitter.com/Go_Dawgs_91/status/1105260974913740800>Twitter</a>)
  • Top-Seeded Washington struggled to finish conference play
  • Plenty of candidates can emerge to claim a spot in NCAA tournament
  • Finding the best value bets in an unpredictable field

Be prepared for anything when the Pac-12 Conference Tournament kicks off this Wednesday (March 13) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

And it begins right at the top.

Barring a total disaster, it’s likely the Huskies have done just enough to get dancing in March.

But with so many teams lingering in this middle (or middling) ground – and an automatic berth to the tournament winner – you should be able to find some value in this field. That’s what we’re here for.

Odds to Win Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament

Team Overall Record  Conf Record Pac-12 Tournament Odds at Sportsbook 1 Pac-12 Tournament Odds at Sportsbook 2
(1) Washington 24-7 15-3 +225 +220
(2) Arizona State 21-9 12-6 +375 +360
(3) Utah 17-13 11-7 +1000 +1700
(4) Oregon State 18-12 10-8 +650 +700
(5) Colorado 19-11 10-8 +650 +690
(6) Oregon 19-12 10-8 +375 +330
(7) UCLA 16-15 9-9 +1800 +2400
(8) USC 15-16 8-10 +2000 +2600
(9) Arizona 17-14 8-10 +1600 +2000
(10) Stanford 15-15 8-10 +2000 +2700
(11) Washington State 11-20 4-14 +20000 +8900
(12 ) California 8-22 3-15 +20000 +9600

*Odds taken March 11

Top Seeds Have Struggled in Pac-12

After starting out 10-0 in conference play, the Huskies staggered home, going 3-5 with a confounding loss to Cal, which finished with eight wins all year.

But head coach Mike Hopkins has some kids he can rely on, including a senior class of contributors led by defensive stud Matisse Thybulle.

The Huskies can also lean on Jaylen Nowell, a favorite to take home Pac-12 POTY honors, after averaging 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this season. He’s one of three players on the roster averaging over 12.5 PPG points this season.

They’ll be looking for their first tourney title since 2011. But top seeds almost never get the job done: the 2010s have seen just one top seed (Colorado in 2013) win the conference tournament.

Pac-12 Tournament History

Year Winner Seed Runner-up
2018 Arizona 7 USC
2017 Arizona 6 Oregon
2016 Oregon 4 Utah
2015 Arizona 5 Oregon
2014 UCLA 4 Arizona

Who’s Hot Heading into Vegas?

The Colorado Buffaloes appear to be hitting their stride at the right time.

They finished the season reeling off eight wins in their final 10 games, led by stellar point guard play from McKinley Wright IV (13 points, 4.9 assist on 50% shooting) and forward Tyler Bey, who finished second in the Pac-12 in rebounding at 9.6 a game, to go along with 13.4 points.

The Oregon Ducks enter the tourney as a six-seed, but have the second-best odds of winning, boasting the second-ranked defense in the conference, and are top-20 in the nation in three-point defense and block rate.

They’re coming off four straight wins, including spoiling senior night in Washington.

Arizona State brings the most impressive schedule resume to the table with wins over Kansas, Mississippi State, Utah State, and Washington, which gets negated with losses to Princeton and Washington State.

Despite below average shooting, explosive guards Lu Dort and Remy Martin can lift the Sun Devils to the finals.

Utah shoots it at almost 38% from beyond the arc and no less than five players have posted 20+ point games on the year, led by senior Sedrick Barefield’s 17 points a game, making them a diversified attack that will be hard to slow down.

The best player in the conference may be Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle (20.7 points 8.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists this year), and he enters the tourney red-hot, going for 20+ points in each of his last four games.

He’s complemented by defensive anchor Kylor Kelley, who  ranks second in the nation in blocks and second in the Pac-12 in field goal percentage.

What’s the Best Bet to Make?

The Huskies are your the safe bet, but it appears that no top seed is safe in the Pac-12.

While I think the Ducks are worthy of a bet, they may not be able to score enough to help out their defense. Utah is great value, but this is a team that has never won the tournament. I don’t know if this non-descript group breaks that trend.

For my money, Oregon State has the scoring chops, arguably the best player in the tournament, and the favorable four-seed placing, which has emerged as the tournament winner two of the last three years.

SBD’s NCAA conference tournament coverage:

Eric Rosales
Eric Rosales

Sports Writer & Editor

Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.

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