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College Basketball

Wright State Raiders vs. Arizona Wildcats Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish
Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert
5 minute read

The Wright State Raiders (22-13) of the Horizon League will meet the Arizona Wildcats (31-3) of the Pac-12 Conference in first-round action in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for approximately 7:27 p.m. ET at Viejas Arena in San Diego, Calif., and the game can be viewed on truTV.

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Score Prediction

Arizona 93, Wright State 69

Best Bet

Arizona -21.5 (-110)
Over 155.5 (-110)

NCAA Tournament Expert Picks | NIT Tournament Picks

MARCH MADNESS BETTING RESOURCES

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS vs. ARIZONA WILDCATS PREDICTIONS

Wright State posted a 93-82 victory against Bryant of the Northeast Conference in the play-in game Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. The Raiders did a decent job considering the Bulldogs had the nation's leading scorer in Peter Kiss. The Raiders were playing in Dayton, which was essentially a home game. It won't have that same luxury in this battle against the top-seed Wilcats.

Arizona registered 31 victories this season, including wins in each of the past six outings. The Wildcats have rolled up 81 or more points in each game during the win streak, covering four of those outings. That included an 84-76 victory in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game against UCLA. The Wildcats also enter this one on a 6-0 OVER run, as the offense has been a finely tuned machine lately.

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS vs. ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING ODDS

More Odds | Futures Odds

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS vs. ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING RESOURCES

  • Date: Friday, March 18, 2022
  • Matchup: No. 16 vs. No. 1
  • Region: South
  • Venue: Viejas Arena
  • Location: San Diego, Calif.
  • TV-Time: truTV - 7:27 p.m. ET

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 22-13
  • ATS: 15-19
  • O/U: 19-15

Wright State rolled up three wins in the Horizon League tournament while picking up the play-in win over Bryant. That's six consecutive victories, while covering four of those outings. But obviously facing Arizona is a huge step up in competition.

The Raiders are just 2-6 ATS in the past eight as an underdog, although Wright State is 5-1 ATS in the past six games against teams with a winning overall record. The Raiders are also 2-5 ATS in the past seven neutral-site affairs.

As far as totals, the OVER has cashed in seven of the past nine games overall, while going a perfect 6-0 in the past six as an underdog, including the play-in win over Bryant Tuesday night. The OVER is also 5-0 in the past five neutral-site games.

ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

  • SU: 31-3
  • ATS: 20-13-1
  • O/U: 20-14

The Wildcats have covered two straight with wins over UCLA and Colorado. The last time it had three covers in a row was Feb. 7-12 inside the conference.

Arizona is just 4-9 ATS in the past 13 games on a neutral site, while going 3-8 ATS in the previous 11 on a neutral floor as a favorite. The Wildcats are also 1-5-1 ATS in the past seven NCAA Tournament games, while going 1-4-1 ATS in the past six in the Big Dance as a favorite.

For totals, the Wildcats are on an impressive 6-0 run, while cashing the OVER in eight of the past nine games overall, too. The OVER has hit in six in a row as a favorite, too, while going 5-1 in the past six at a neutral site.

Arizona has scored 81 or more points in six consecutive games, all OVER results. (AP)

INSIDE THE STATS - WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS

  • Record: 22-13
  • PS/G: 76.0 (54th)
  • PA/G: 71.4 (244th)

INSIDE THE STATS - ARIZONA WILDCATS

  • Record: 31-3
  • PS/G: 84.6 (3rd)
  • PA/G: 67.5 (133rd)

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

  • WRST: Grant Basile - F (18.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.5 BPG, 1.0 SPG)
  • WRST: Tanner Holden - G (19.9 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 50.4 FG%, 35.1 3P%)
  • ARIZ: Bennedict Mathurin - G (17.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 46.8 FG%, 37.9 3P%)
  • ARIZ: Azuolas Tubelis - F (14.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 2.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 55.0 FG%)

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS vs. ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING CONCLUSION

We've seen UMBC stun Virginia as a 16-seed four years ago in the first round. That's the only time it has ever happened, and we're not going to see a repeat of history here. The Wildcats are not UVA, a low-scoring, grind-it-out team. Arizona has a high-flying offense, and Wright State is going to have an awful lot of trouble keeping them even remotely close.

The biggest drama in this game might be whether or not the Raiders can score enough to help out with the OVER, or if the Wildcats are going to do most of the heavy lifting. Arizona has scored 81 or more points in six straight games, and that's against Pac-12 foes. A triple-digit point total wouldn't be a stunner in this one, which should be a laugher. Laying that big number is tough, but Arizona is going to cash with plenty to spare.

MARCH MADNESS PICK RESOURCES

WRIGHT STATE RAIDERS vs. ARIZONA WILDCATS BETTING TRENDS

  • Wright State is 2-6 ATS in the past eight games as an underdog.
  • Wright State is 5-1 ATS in the past six vs. winning teams.
  • Wright State is 2-5 ATS in the past seven neutral-site games.
  • Arizona is 4-9 ATS in the past 13 neutral-site games.
  • Arizona is 1-5-1 ATS in the past seven NCAA Tournament games.
  • The OVER is 7-2 in the past nine games overall for Wright State.
  • The OVER is 6-0 in the past six games as an underdog for Wright State.
  • The OVER is 5-0 in the past five neutral-site games for Wright State.
  • The OVER is 6-0 in the past six games overall for Arizona.
  • The OVER is 6-0 in the past six as a favorite for Arizona.
  • The OVER is 5-1 in the past six neutral-site games for Arizona.

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Daniel Dobish

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish
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