Camila Sosa
The University of Arizona will look to end a 24-season drought without a national title when they begin their 2022 March Madness stint friday against Wright State, after a first-four round defeat. Arizona comfortably won the Conference and Pac-12 Championship to enter the big dance as the seeding No. 1 in the South. As for the Raiders, they were fourth in the Horizon League, but they come with lots of bravery after their big win earlier in the week.
Picks and Predictions for the Wright State Raiders vs Arizona Wildcats 2022 NCAA Basketball Championship Round 1 – March 18th
- Where: Viejas Arena – San Diego, California
- When: Friday, March 18, 7:27 PM ET
- Betting Line: Wright State Raiders (+21.5) vs Arizona Wildcats (-21.5)
Wright State Raiders Betting Preview (Seeding #16)
- Overall Record: 22-13
- Conference Record: 15-7
- Spread: +21.5
- Over/Under: Over 156
- Moneyline: +1800
We’re not going to lie to each other: Wright State will have a hard time winning against Arizona with the little depth it has on its roster. We’re talking about a defense that will surely have a lot of problems against one of the best teams when it comes to attacking in the paint and that has a lethal attack from the three-point line.
On the other hand, their offense is the Raiders’ best aspect, and it is guided by Tanner Holden, Grant Basile and Trey Calvin. The problem is that when one of them does not have a good day, especially Holden who averaged 20.4 games per commitment, the already mentioned little depth of Wright State is not able to respond, and one cannot allow for such luxury against the Arizona Wildcats.
Arizona Wildcats Betting Preview (Seeding #1)
- Overall Record: 31-3
- Conference Record: 18-2
- Spread: -21.5
- Over/Under: Over 156
- Moneyline: -10000
The Arizona Wildcats are the undisputed candidate to win the championship. However, the team should not relax when playing against a Wright State team that, if they have a good night, is able to score with ease to any team, including the Arizona defense that is not its forte.
However, on the offensive side, the Wildcats have everything to fight against a Raiders’ defense that does not have much to offer. Besides, the Raiders will surely suffer a lot against the three giants that destroyed the paint throughout the championship: Azuolas Tubelis, Christian Koloko, and Oumar Ballo. As if that was not enough, the Wildcats have Bennedict Mathurin in their raks, the player of the year in the PAC-12 by averaging 17.4 PPJ, 5.6 RBJ and 2.6 assists.
JefeBet Prediction
Both teams have outstanding offenses, but their defenses are not the most respectable. Between the two, they averaged 160.1 points in the championship, six more than the dotted line in Las Vegas. In addition, in the last 10 games Arizona went 9-1 in hitting the over while Wright State posted a 7-3 mark in the O/U. That’s why this time we recommend going with the Over.
