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Wright State and top-seeded Arizona are set to clash in the Big Dance! It's time to continue our march madness odds series with a Wright State-Arizona prediction and pick.
16-seed Wright State is feeling themselves right now after ending the season on fire. The Raiders ended the season (22-13). Wright State defeated Northern Kentucky in the Horizon League Championship Final 72-71 to get them into the Big Dance. They were only inserted into the First Four in the South Region but took down Bryant University 93-82 on Tuesday night. Now, they will take on Arizona, who is considered the toughest team to beat in this tournament.
The Wildcats finished the season (31-3) after pretty much dominating the regular season. Arizona finished as Pac-12 Champs after taking down UCLA 84-76 in the final and are one of the four 1-seeds. Many consider Arizona the team to beat in this tournament but we all know they call it madness for a reason. Let's get right to it.
Here are the Wright State-Arizona March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Wright State-Arizona Odds
Wright State: +21.5 (-110)
Arizona: -21.5 (-110)
Over: 157 (-110)
Under: 157 (-110)
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Why Wright State Could Cover The Spread
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The Raiders contain one of the top offensive players in the country in Tanner Holden. Holden averages 20.3 points per game which is good for 17th in the nation. They will need him to have the best game of his career if they want to even keep this game close. Now, that is saying a lot because he scored 37 in the win over Bryant last time out. He shot 73% from the field which is extremely hard to beat. So I'll rephrase it to he needs to stay hot in order for them to keep it close. A repeat performance will help them cover this 21.5-point spread.
Holden isn't the only scoring threat on the team as Grant Basile averages 18.4 points per game which is higher than anyone on Arizona. The Wildcats contain one of the top-scoring offenses in the nation as they are third at 84.6 points per game. The Raiders will have to try and keep up if they want to cover this spread. Becuase it's so high, I think they have a chance.
Why Arizona Could Cover The Spread
Arizona will undoubtedly win this game. I do think that covering this spread may be tough if they don't step up defensively. Wright State has the personnel to make this a high-scoring affair. The Wildcats can't take this game lightly. Bennedict Mathurin is one of the best players in the country and he will need to prove it on the big stage. He's averaging 17 points on the season and scored 27 in the win over UCLA. He shot only 42% from the floor, however, so that will need to improve tomorrow night. The rest of the lineup is very solid as well, as Arizona can share the wealth with multiple players. Three other players averaged double-digits in scoring this year but one of them won't be playing against Wright State. Kerr Kriisa injured his leg during the Pac-12 tournament and could miss the entire tournament.
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Final Wright State-Arizona Prediction & Pick
I believe Arizona won't have much trouble winning this game but the spread over 20 points is too high for me. Just the slightest of off nights offensively results in a close game. This is March, and this is Madness. Give me the Wright State Raiders to cover this large spread. Consider taking the over at 157 as well as these are two elite offensive squads.
Final Wright State-Arizona Pick: Wright State +21.5 (-110)
