In Big 12 play, has Arizona jumped into the National Championship conversation? The Wildcats have won 13 of their last 14 ball games as freshman Carter Bryant and 5th-year senior Caleb Love have found their rhythm as we begin to head toward the end of conference play.
How about a rivalry rematch in Lexington? The Tennessee Volunteers are 7-4 in conference play as they look to split the season series against a Kentucky Wildcat offense that is continuing to score the rock at an unbelievable rate.
Best Bet: Arizona (-3.5)
The Arizona Wildcats are finally turning into the team we thought they would be at the beginning of the season. Jumping up to 13th in the nation, the ‘Cats dynamic guard duo of Caleb Love and Jaden Bradley (deep sleeper in the next draft cycle) has come alive, winning six straight Big 12 games, including two against ranked opponents and one bitter rivalry game which ended in a Bobby Hurley temper tantrum.
Zona has scored 78+ points in each of those six victories. With that being said, Kansas State has won five in a row after sitting at the bottom of the pack in Big 12 play. With wins against Iowa State, Kansas, and West Virginia over that span, this will make for a close contest.
However, with Arizona’s offense playing its best of the season and the deep rotation which has the potential to make a Final Four appearance with the emergence of K.J. Lewis and freshman star Carter Bryant, Arizona should be able to walk away with another impressive away win tonight.
Best Bet: BYU (+2.5)
Both sitting at 15-8 on the season, this is a massive Big 12 matchup between two bubble March Madness squads. The Cougars have dropped two in a row to Arizona and Cincinnati and will look to get back on track tonight behind Egor Demin and Richie Saunders.
In his first season in Provo, longtime Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young is at a turning point. With the team 25th in the nation averaging 17 APG, this could end up being an issue for a West Virginia team that averages below 70 PPG on the year.
Expect the Cougars’ pace and 3-point shooting to stand out and allow for this Big 12 upset tonight.
Best Bet: Tennessee at Kentucky (OVER 148.5)
This rivalry is due to take another twist and turn tonight as the Vols travel to Lexington to take on the Wildcats for the second time this season. In their first meeting, Tennessee shot just 24% from beyond the arc on 45 attempts, while Kentucky went an efficient 12 of 24 from beyond the arc to win the game by five points.
I’m expecting both teams to put points on the board tonight, with Kentucky scoring 86.7 PPG this season on insanely efficient numbers. The Vols score 74.8 PPG and lean on their defense, but against this potent Wildcat offense that contains six players averaging 10 or more points and four players shooting it 40% or better from beyond the arc, this could be one of those games where Kentucky shoots light out to start the game but Tennessee claws back in the second half due to their guard play.
Ultimately, scoring should come in waves in this game with plenty of three-point attempts, leading for a perfect recipe for this rivalry game to hit the over.
