Oregon Ducks vs Colorado Buffaloes Odds
| Oregon Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+2.5 -110 | 140 -110o / -110u | +125 |
| Colorado Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-2.5 -110 | 140 -110o / -110u | -150 |
We came into this tournament thinking we had to back the teams with the best chance to knock off Arizona in the championship game.
Well, the Oregon Ducks jumped the gun and mounted a massive comeback to take care of the Arizona Wildcats in the semi-finals.
However, now they must face a nearly healthy Colorado team after winning a gritty game last night against Washington State.
Colorado also swept the season series against Oregon with a 16-point win at home and a four-point win on the road.
Oregon Ducks
Oregon displayed a lot of guts Friday as it overcame a 14-point deficit despite multiple players being banged up.
N'Faly Dante and Jermaine Couisnard led the way as Couisnard was four of eight from downtown, and Dante was a problem down low, posting a double-double with four blocks.
Returning to how they will fare tonight, the Ducks must rely on Dante to win down low, as Colorado is excellent at defending the perimeter. However, having success against the Buffaloes in the paint is easier said than done.
Colorado may be an average defensive team in the paint and have a low block rate, but they have a lot of size to contend with. We've also seen Dante succeed, and it still was not enough for the Ducks to come out on top.
Dante carried Oregon in the last game against Colorado over a week ago. He was perfect from the field and had 12 rebounds, four assists, and five blocks, but Colorado still came out on top.
I suspect that the Buffaloes will not let Dante be the one to beat them tonight. So, someone else will need to step up, but it's hard to determine who will.
Colorado Buffaloes
Colorado looked sluggish on Friday.
They could not get going from deep, shooting just three of fifteen from beyond the arc. Fortunately, their big men were efficient in the paint, and they were able to do just enough offensively to get the job done.
Tonight should be different, as Oregon does not present the same problems as Washington State.
The Ducks have proven to be susceptible from the mid-range and beyond.
They have allowed their opposition to shoot over 42% from mid-range and 34% from beyond the arc. Point guard KJ Simpson shines in those two areas. Despite being 4 of 15 from the field, Simpson led against Wazzu.
He's due for some positive regression, and this is the matchup for it. We should also see the big men get involved on the offensive glass.
N'Faly Dante is one of the nation's best defensive rebounders, but Colorado has size and should get a fair share of putbacks.
Oregon vs Colorado
Betting Pick & Prediction
While we should see Colorado get back on track offensively in this one, I find it hard to see them pushing the pace, given that this is their third game in three days.
The same goes for Oregon, and the Ducks play much slower.
So, with a reduced tempo on tap and Oregon's offense projected to take a step back from their performance last night, the Under is the play.
Pick: Under 143.5 (Play to 142)
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