The Auburn Tigers take on the Washington Huskies. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Auburn Washington prediction and pick.
The Washington Huskies have at times looked like a really good team this season. They beat Saint Mary's, which is a contender for an NCAA Tournament berth. Washington also defeated Colorado in Pac-12 play. That's the same Colorado team which beat the Tennessee Volunteers earlier this season in Nashville.
Washington has also looked like a very ordinary team on several occasions this season. There's no shame in having lost to Gonzaga. That wasn't a bad loss by any means. However, the Huskies lost to Oregon State and have also dropped a game to California Baptist at home. They trailed Cal Poly for most of their game against the Mustangs last week before rallying late to win. Washington isn't inspiring maximum confidence as it moves forward this season, but just when it seems the Huskies are about to go on a big losing skid and descend into misery, they bounce back and deliver a solid performance. This team is pinballing between mediocrity and quality, and it's one of the more mysterious teams in the Pac-12 Conference through the first six weeks of the season.
Here are the Auburn-Washington NCAA Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Auburn-Washington Odds
Auburn Tigers: -3.5 (-110)
Washington Huskies: +3.5 (-110)
Over: 137.5 (-114)
Under: 137.5 (-106)
Why Auburn Could Cover the Spread
The Washington Huskies have been erratic, as noted above. The fact that Washington trailed Cal Poly by a double-digit margin at one point in last week's game shows that Washington, when playing poorly, can be really bad. There is a large degree of variance between Washington's best basketball and its worst. If Washington and Auburn both play at the same level, Auburn will definitely be better. Washington has to clearly outplay Auburn to win this game. Auburn has a higher floor than Washington. The Huskies might have a higher ceiling, but Auburn's normal level is better than Washington's.
One more note about Washington's close shave against Cal Poly: That's the same Cal Poly team which just lost by 22 points to San Jose State, one of the worst teams in the Mountain West. Cal Poly has lost by 37 to Stanford, one of the worst teams in the Pac-12. Washington's narrow win over the Mustangs is and should be alarming.
The other big reason to take Auburn is that the Tigers just lost at USC on Sunday, committing 23 turnovers. Auburn is not going to turn the ball over 23 times against Washington. It probably won't turn the ball over 17 times. As long as Auburn can keep its turnovers under 15, the Tigers should be able to get more shots, more possessions, and more rebounds. With their frontcourt, they can control Washington in the paint and on the glass.
Why Washington Could Cover the Spread
Washington is licking its chops at the prospect of throwing its 2-3 zone defense at Auburn. The Tigers have had problems this season and in recent previous seasons under coach Bruce Pearl at showing good discipline and shot selection in their halfcourt offense. The Tigers have been known to jack up bad 3-point shot attempts, and they have also been known to be careless with the ball. We saw that in the 23 turnovers against USC in a 74-71 loss to the Trojans on Sunday afternoon in Los Angeles. Auburn will be motivated to play better, but merely wanting to play better isn't a guarantee of better performance. Auburn's backcourt doesn't show good habits and tendencies. A disciplined zone defense from coach Mike Hopkins can throw the Tigers all out of joint and create a disruptive style of play which will cause Auburn to wilt on the road in Seattle.
Final Auburn-Washington Prediction & Pick
Washington's inconsistency is notable, but what ultimately makes the difference here is Auburn's loss on Sunday with 23 turnovers. You're not going to see Auburn play that poorly in two straight games, and you're not going to see Auburn lose two straight games. The odds are with the Tigers here.
Final Auburn-Washington Prediction & Pick: Auburn -3.5
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