A rivalry game in the Pac 12 Conference takes place tonight as the Oregon State Beavers travel to take on the No. 24 Oregon Ducks. The game is scheduled for an 11:00 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on ESPNU. Currently the College Basketball Odds for the game has Oregon favored by 10 points.
Oregon State's basketball team started the season at 10-3, but has since stumbled in the conference season — immensely. The Beavers are just 3-12 since the conference schedule began and two of their three wins came against fellow cellar dwellers Utah and Washington State. Tonight's matchup is one of those games where anything can happen, especially in a rivalry game. But the Beavers have lost 34 of 35 against Top 25 teams overall and haven't beaten one on the road since 1985.
Oregon was once a Top 10 team in the rankings, but losing starting point guard Dominic Artis completely deflated this team. The Ducks haven't had Artis on the floor for more than a month and went just 5-4 without him. Three of those games would probably have been victories for Oregon had Artis been on the floor, meaning the Ducks would have a lead in the Pac 12 standings as opposed to being tied with UCLA.
Yet, Oregon head coach Dana Altman said Johnathan Loyd will remain Oregon's starting point guard for now. Artis will come off the bench.
The Ducks at home are phenomenal, winners of 16 of their 18 games overall. Oregon State on the road is just 2-5 overall and they've dropped three straight games in the conference. Roberto Nelson, averaging 17.3 points, will surpass the 1,000-point mark for his career in this game tonight if he scores at least two points.
Oregon's big guys have been playing very well lately. Carlos Emory has tossed in 17.3 points per game in his last three while Arsalan Kazemi has stepped up with 11.2 points and 11.6 rebounds per game in the last five. Those guys will be crucial to the Ducks tonight. And let's not forget about E.J. Singler, who leads the team in scoring at just under 12 points per game.
Free Pick: Oregon 77, Oregon State 66
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