On a quiet Monday night in college basketball, there are only nine games around the country, but here’s the best betting pick for the marquee Pac-12 matchup at Friel Court at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman where the Washington State Cougars host the Washington Huskies.
These two foes already met on the last day of January, and the Cougars thrashed off the Huskies 77-62 as 1.5-point road underdogs. Washington State is an 8-point home fave for Monday’s clash, according to William Hill Sportsbook, and the Cougars will search for their fourth straight victory over Washington.
The Huskies dropped five in a row
The Washington Huskies (3-16; 2-12 Conf.) are riding a five-game losing streak that started with a heavy loss to Washington State. Over their previous four outings, the Huskies couldn’t deal with Oregon, Oregon State, USC, and UCLA, while they are coming off a 64-61 defeat to the Bruins this past Saturday.
Washington covered a 9.5-point spread against UCLA, but the Huskies blew a nice chance to upset the odds against the second-best team in the Pac-12 Conference. The game was tied with 2:47 to go in the second half, and the Huskies just failed to get the job done down the stretch.
The Huskies remain the worst team in the Pac-12. They are No. 202 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 167 in the latest KenPom rankings. Washington tallies 103.4 points per 100 possessions (156th in the nation) and yields 103.2 in a return (185th).
The Cougars couldn’t cope with USC, dropped two of their last three games
The Washington State Cougars (12-9; 5-9 Conf.) are coming off a 76-65 defeat to the No. 20 USC Trojans, failing to cover an 8-point spread on the home court. It was their second loss in the last three showings along with an 81-73 home victory over UCLA.
The Cougars just couldn’t cope with the heavyweight USC team. They shot only 36.4% from the field and a miserable 12.0% from beyond the 3-point line. Senior guard Isaac Bonton had 17 points, four boards, five assists, and four steals but went only 6-for-17 from the field, while freshman center Dishon Jackson added 18 points and five rebounds.
Washington State sits at the tenth spot of the Pac-12 standings, three games ahead of Washington. The Cougars are No. 102 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 104 in the KenPom rankings. They score 101.0 points per 100 possessions (204th) and surrender only 93.9 in a return (38th).
Washington:
- 7-13 ATS in the last 20 games overall
- 3-9 ATS in the last 12 games played in February
Washington State:
- 4-1-1 ATS in the last six games overall
- 4-1 ATS in the last five games against Washington
While the Huskies have struggled mightily on both sides of the floor, the Cougars have played lousy offense along with a surprisingly good D. The hosts will lean on Isaac Bonton once more, and he’s dropped 25 points on the Huskies in their first meeting of the season.
Washington State should win this game, but covering an 8-point deficit could be a problem, considering their poor offense. Still, the Cougars will tighten up their defense down the stretch and hopefully outlast the Huskies by six or more points.
Pick: Take Washington State -6.0 at -150
The Total:
The Huskies play at a fast pace of 70.7 possessions per 40 minutes (67th in the country), while the Cougars record 69.1 possessions per 40 minutes (139th). Still, I think they won’t combine for more than 141 points, considering how poorly they execute offensively.
Likewise, the Cougars’ stout defense should be a huge factor in this clash. The hosts know they have to shut down the Huskies if they want to win, so give me the under on the totals. Six of the last nine encounters between Washington and Washington State went in the under.
Pick: Go under 141.5 points at -110
