The PAC 12 Basketball conference season is in full swing and the No. 10 Oregon Ducks travel to take on the Stanford Cardinal tonight in the Maples Pavillion. The game is scheduled for an 11:00 p.m. EST start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Currently the odds for the game have Stanford favored by 2 points.
What's that? Another highly ranked team that's on the road against a mid-level conference team and the ranked team is an underdog? Yep, happening again here tonight with Oregon and Stanford. The Ducks have risen to the Top 10 in the country and yet are underdogs on the road tonight against a 12-8 team. The Cardinal have won eight of their 10 home games so far this season and average just under 70 points per game, making possessions count.
Oregon is 7-0 in conference play. They've won 18 games already and haven't won a regular-season conference title since 2001-02 season. Yet, how have the Ducks gotten to this point in the season? Oregon gives up a conference-worst 15.7 turnovers per contest and have won their last five game by an average of just five points. The Ducks have five guys averaging in double figures, led by Damyean Dotson's 11.7 and E.J. Singler's 11.2 points per game.
Also averaging in double digits are Tony Woods (10.9), Carlos Emory (10.2) and Dominic Artis (10.2)
Chasson Randle and Dwight Powell will have to match up inside with the Ducks tonight for Stanford. They've beaten really nobody at home but have played UCLA, NC State and Missouri all pretty hard. They're certainly not going to just give up and not play hard.
But what justifies them being favored over Oregon? This will be the Ducks' sixth road game of the season and their third in the last five games. Oregon can score some points, averaging more than 76 per contest and they shoot and rebound the ball pretty well. Stanford averages less than 70 per game and doesn't shoot the ball well, averaging just 40 percent.
Yet, somebody obviously knows something that we don't if Stanford is favored here tonight.
Free Pick: Stanford 67, Oregon 64
College Basketball Free Picks: Texas at Kansas State Betting
What college basketball bettors need to know about Texas Longhorns at Kansas State Wildcats on Wednesday (1/30/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard, with Vegas Runner and host Steve Fezzik.
-$25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!Get more Free Picks from the Pregame Pros HERE.
Be sure and check out Pregame.tv every week for our videos that include handicapping tips, Webinars, analysis and Free Plays.