Princeton Tigers vs. Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview and Pick

Princeton (21-8 SU 14-12 ATS) vs. Arizona (28-6 SU 18-15 ATS)
When: Thursday, March 16th: 4:10 ET
Where: Golden 1 Center Sacramento, CA
TV: TNT
Point Spread: Prin +14.5/AZ -14.5 (Bet your college hoops picks at -105 odds instead of -110 by taking 3 minutes to make the switch to BAS Sportsbook!)
Total: 154.0
Money Line: Pri +550/Ari -1115

The Princeton Tigers (21-8 SU, 14-12 ATS) will face off against the Arizona Wildcats (28-6 SU, 18-15 ATS) in a college basketball matchup on Thursday, March 16th, at 4:10 ET. The game will take place at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA, and will be televised on TNT. The point spread for the game is +14.5 for Princeton and -14.5 for Arizona, while the total line is set at 154.0. Bettors can also take the money line, with the Princeton Tigers listed at +550 and the Arizona Wildcats at -1115.

Line Movement

This game opened on most boards with Arizona as a -13.5 spread favorite but has hit as high as -14.5 against the public position on the dog. The total hasn’t seen a lot of movement, holding its opener of 154.5 points at many shops.

Last Game Info

Princeton will be looking for another win, as they most recently defeated Yale by a score of 74-65. The Tigers also picked up an ATS victory as they were +3.5 point underdogs. The combined 139 points finished above the 138 total line.

Arizona is coming off a 61-59 win over UCLA. Entering the game, the Wildcats were favored at -2, resulting in an ATS push on each side. The combined 120 points did not surpass the 148.5 total line.

Current Form

Princeton
Over their last five games, Princeton has a straight-up record of 4-1 while going 4-1 vs. the spread. Over this stretch, the Tigers’ offense averages 73.8 points per game while hitting 42.2% of their shots from the field. On the defensive end of the floor, they have allowed opponents to shoot 40.2% from the field while allowing 70.6 points per contest.

Arizona
In their previous five contests, Arizona is 4-1 straight-up and 3-1-1 vs. the spread. In these five games, they have a scoring average of 78.8 points per game on a shooting percentage of 51.7%. Defensively, they allow teams to hit 40.1% of their shots while giving up 73.0 points per game.

Average Power Rating Of Opponents Played

This season, the combined power rating of Princeton’s opponents comes in at 74. On the other side, Arizona’s combined opponent power rating sits at 83.8.

How Does Princeton Fare On Neutral Courts?

On neutral courts, the Tigers put together a mark of 3-1 this season.

How Does Arizona Fare On Neutral Courts?

On neutral courts, the Wildcats put together a mark of 7-0 this season.

Offense vs. Defense

For the season, Princeton is averaging 79.9 points per game (17th) while posting an overall field goal percentage of 48.8%. In today’s game, they will be matched up against an Arizona defense that has allowed an average of 71.5 points per contest. This year, opponents have hit 41.0% of their shots vs. Arizona. Conversely, the Arizona Wildcats are coming into the game averaging 84.6 points per game on a shooting percentage of 49.6%. The Wildcats will be facing a defensive unit allowing an average of 68.6 points per contest. So far, teams have hit 42.3% of their shots vs. the Tigers.

Three-Point Shooting

From beyond the arc, Princeton has a shooting percentage of 38.8% while ranking 90th in attempts per game. The Tigers will be facing an Arizona defense that has a 3-point field goal shooting percentage allowed of 32.8%. Arizona enters the game, having hit 35.4% of their looks from deep while averaging 7.76 made 3’s per game. On the other end, Princeton has allowed opponents to hit 32.2% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Injuries Of Note

Princeton

• Deven Austin (Out) Lower Body

Arizona

• No Reported Injuries

Pick Against The Spread

I like the Over here. Arizona is ranked 23rd in possession per game, and it’s not like Princeton plays slow, ranking 155th, so I think that we can expect a decent pace. Both teams are also in the top portion of the league in offensive efficiency, with the Wildcats 11th and the Tigers 67th. Sure, it’s a big number, but it’s not like Arizona plays much defense ranking 238th in the nation. The Arizona bigs shouldn’t have an issue putting up the points, and if Princeton can get their 3-point game going, we should see a game around 160.