The Arizona Wildcats won the Pac-12 Tournament and earned the No. 2 seed in the South region. Now they take on the Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers in the first round. Here is our best Princeton vs. Arizona prediction based on the top NCAAB odds.
The Wildcats won the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament after finishing as runner-ups to the UCLA Bruins during the regular season. They boast wins over the Bruins, the San Diego State Aztecs, Creighton Bluejays, and Tennessee Volunteers. Leading scorer forward Azuolas Tubelis averages 19.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season.
The Tigers earned their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2017 with their Ivy League championship game win over the Yale Bulldogs. Forward Tosan Evbuomwan who leads the Tigers averages 15 points per game while guard Ryan Langborg averages 12.1.
Here is our best Princeton vs. Arizona prediction (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
Princeton vs. Arizona odds
Princeton vs. Arizona prediction
We've seen a 15-seed defeat a 2-seed in each of the last two NCAA tournaments. If there's such an upset this season, this isn't likely to be the spot where it happens. The Wildcats are a very physical team that has size down low the Tigers simply can't match.
But can the Tigers cover a 14-point spread? We really don't know. They average 75 points PPG, and the Wildcats are a college basketball 205th in points allowed per game this year. Blame those numbers on the Wildcats playing in the Pac-12, but there weren't very many good offenses in the conference this season.
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Rather than try to figure out how much Arizona wins by and whether or not the Wildcats rest their starters with 10 minutes left in the game or 5, take the Over. The Wildcats average 82.7 PPG, the NCAAB's third highest mark, and the Tigers are good enough offensively to keep pace long enough to take advantage of a defense that allows a lot of possessions.
This number is really high, but the Wildcats could score 100 points in this contest by themselves, even if they don't play their usual rotation for a full 40 minutes.
Check out our best March Madness odds and Wooden Award odds.
Princeton vs. Arizona best odds
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | PointsBet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 154.5 | Over 153.5 | Over 154.5 | Over 154.5 | Over 154.5 |
| -110 | -115 | -110 | -110 | -110 |
Check out our breakdown of the best March Madness odds and all of our March Madness picks and betting trends.
This total opened at 154.5, and it stayed at that number at all the major sportsbooks except FanDuel, where it dropped to 153.5. It's nice to see the number lower at FD but the price is more expensive, which makes it less enticing. Realistically, this matchup should be played in the 160s, so getting this for one less point isn't worth the extra juice.
As for the other four books, where you bet is up to you. If you're looking to parlay with a point spread and you like the Tigers, DraftKings offers the best line for Princeton.
Princeton vs. Arizona odds analysis
The Wildcats opened as 14-point favorites, and there's been some movement at the major sportsbooks. At FanDuel, the line dropped to 13.5, while at DraftKings, the number went up to 14.5. Essentially, this movement suggests oddsmakers don't have a strong read on where this is going. And neither does the public. The consensus spread is up 14.5 points in favor of Arizona on Wednesday morning with 61% of bettors backing the underdog.
The total opened at 154.5, and other than moving to 153.5 at FD, it stayed put at the other major sportsbooks. Bettors are split on this number with 56% of bettors backing the Under. Don't expect much movement with this line as tipoff approaches.
Princeton vs. Arizona game info
- Date: Thursday, March 16, 4:10 p.m. ET
- TV: TNT
- Location: Golden 1 Center, Sacramento, CA
Princeton vs. Arizona pick made 3/14/2023 at 9:19 a.m. ET.
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