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2024 Pac-12 Tournament Predictions with Betting Odds and Picks

by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2024

Pac-12 Tournament predictions Caleb Love Arizona Wildcats

This is The End.

The Pac-12 has been crushed under the cold, cruel weight of The Market and is preparing to be ripped to shreds by the claws of Capitalism. A year from now, this league will no longer exist, with shards being absorbed by the Big 12 and Big Ten. Meaning that this will be the final Pac-12 Tournament ever.

It is fitting, in a way. The Pac-12 was the last of the major conferences to adopt the current league championship format. That lack of foresight should’ve been a red flag predicting their ultimate demise.

So, this is it. These western programs will get together one final time to crown a champion set to become a footnote in college basketball history. And they will play through the cloud of sadness that comes from knowing that it’s over for The Conference of Champions.

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The Pac-12 Conference Tournament will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The tournament begins on Wednesday, March 13, and the champion will be crowned on Saturday. Here is Doc’s Sports 2024 Pac-12 Tournament preview and predictions:

The Favorite: Arizona (-150)

It is fitting that Arizona, the program that has dominated this league for decades, secured the regular season championship and top overall seed. Arizona went through a midseason swoon, going 6-5 over an 11-game stretch. Arizona then won 10 of 11 before a surprising 13-point loss at USC to end the regular season. Caleb Love never met a shot that he didn’t like, and big men Oumar Ballo and Motiejus Krivas are a tough matchup in the post. Arizona is the third-highest scoring team in the country (89.5 points per game) and in the Top 25 in field goal offense and 3-point shooting. This team is nearly impossible to stop on offense. So, if they lose, it will be to someone who can put the ball in the hole consistently.

The Contender: Washington State (+500)

The Cougars are one of the biggest surprises in the country. Like several Big 12 overachievers (Oklahoma, TCU, etc.), Wazzou played a feeble nonconference schedule. Unlike those teams, they have gotten better in conference play, sweeping Arizona along to a Top 25 ranking. Washington State is kind of a vintage Kyle Smith team, playing at a slow pace and getting it done with efficiency rather than talent. Freshman Myles Rice has been a revelation, and forwards Isaac Jones and Jaylen Wells combine to average 27.6 points and 12 rebounds per game. This isn’t a bad team. But they lack high-end talent, and I would be stunned if they win this tournament.

The Dark Horse: Colorado (+500)

Injuries to Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams short-circuited the middle of Colorado’s season. Da Silva has returned, but Williams has been in and out of the lineup for the last three months and the Buffs need the talented freshmen if they want to make a run. The Buffs are riding a six-game winning streak into this tournament, and they are No. 5 in the country in both field goal offense (49.9 percent) and 3-point shooting (40 percent). The Buffs defense comes and goes, though, and they were blown out by 47 and 20 in their two games against potential finals opponent Arizona. Colorado’s only Pac-12 title came in 2012, their first year in the league. However, they have won at least one game in this tournament in 11 of the past 12 years.

The Spoiler: UCLA (+4500)

Mick Cronin lost as much talent and experience as any team in the country from last season to this one. The drop-off has been predictable and precipitous, with Cronin possibly headed to just the third losing season in his coaching career and first since 2007-2008 at Cincinnati. This team has talent, led by guard Sebastian Mack and center Adem Bona. But the Bruins are incredibly young, with eight of their top nine players either freshmen or sophomores. UCLA should take care of feeble Oregon State in the opener. That would set up a date with Oregon in the quarterfinals. The Bruins split with the Ducks in two close games, and Oregon is erratic as any team in this league. A march to the semifinals isn’t out of the question.

Bubble Team To Watch: Utah (+1600)

Utah shouldn’t be on the bubble. They scored wins over Wake Forest, St. Mary’s and BYU in the nonconference. But a 9-11 Pac-12 season, hastened by Utah’s inability to win outside of their home gym, has put them in a bad spot heading into Selection Sunday. The Utes probably need to make a run to the finals to even warrant consideration for an at-large bid. But looking at their path, that’s not a huge ask.

Early Round Game To Keep An Eye On:

No. 8 Washington (-3) vs. No. 9 USC (4 p.m., Wednesday, March 10)

It has already been announced that Mike Hopkins won’t be back next year after seven disappointing seasons with the Huskies. Will that spur a, “win one for The Gipper” run from the Huskies? This team has wins over Gonzaga, Xavier and Utah. And 10 of their 14 losses have come by seven points or less against a Top 50 schedule. This is the second most experienced team in the country, absolutely loaded with seniors going for one last hurrah. USC has been one of the biggest disappointments in the country. But they have won three straight, including a win at UW on March 2, and they are bringing an intriguing level of talent to Vegas this week.

2024 Pac 12 Conference Tournament Predictions: I think that there will definitely be a couple of upsets in the quarterfinals. Washington State, Colorado and Oregon will all be very soft favorites in that round, and they are all vulnerable. At the end of the day, though, this is really Arizona’s title to lose. They’ve owned the Pac-12 for as long as I can remember, and it would be fitting for them to close the place down with another title.

Robert Ferringo is a member of the Basketball Writer's Association of America and a professional sports handicapper for Doc's Sports. He is considered one of the best college basketball handicappers in the country and has posted 12 of 15 winning seasons. He is looking for a monster March run and you can sign up for his college basketball picks and get more information here.

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