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Washington State vs. Arizona Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Thursday, Feb. 22

Breaking down the best bet to place, as well as the odds and trends, for Thursday night's Pac-12 action between Washington State and Arizona.

By Iain MacMillan

Feb 17, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (2) makes a three point basket
Feb 17, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Caleb Love (2) makes a three point basket / Zachary BonDurant-USA TODAY Sports
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There is only one game on Thursday that involves two teams that are nationally ranked and it's the Pac-12 showdown between No. 21 Washington State and No. 4 Arizona.

The two teams are atop the Pac-12 standings with the Cougars just 0.5 game behind the Wildcats. An upset win for Washington State tonight would put them in sole possession of first place in the conference.

With this being the game of the night, we're absolutely going to bet on it.

If you're going to follow me in betting on this game, be sure to take advantage of this great promotion from BetMGM. For a limited time, new users who sign up for an account using the link below will receive $150 in bonus bets when they place their first $5 wager!

Washington State vs. Arizona odds, spread, and total

Washington State vs. Arizona betting trends

  • Washington State is 6-1 ATS in its last seven games
  • Arizona is 14-5-1 ATS in its last 20 games vs. Arizona
  • Washington State has won seven-straight games
  • Arizona is 5-1 ATS in its last six games
  • The OVER is 6-2 in Arizona's last eight games
  • The UNDER is 5-0 in the last five meetings between these two teams

Washington State vs. Arizona how to watch

  • Date: Thursday, Feb. 22
  • Game time: 11 p.m. EST
  • Venue: McKale Center
  • How to watch (TV): FS1
  • Washington State record: 20-6 (11-4 in Pac-12)
  • Arizona record: 20-5 (11-3 in Pac-12)

Washington State vs. Arizona key players to watch

Washington State

Jaylen Wells: A big reason for Washington State's success is Jaylen Wells' perimeter offense. He's hitting his three-pointers at a rate of 44.6% which gives the Cougars an offensive weapon they can turn to when they need it. If they want to upset Arizona for the second time this season, they'll need a few of those threes from Wells.

Arizona

Caleb Love: The Wildcats have one of the best guards in the country in Caleb Love, who's averaging 18.8, 5.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. This team will go as far as Love takes them and he has come up clutch in key moments for the Wildcats.

Washington State vs. Arizona prediction and pick

I broke down in today's edition of the "Daily Dunk" why backing Washington State to cover the spread as an underdog is one of my favorite bets of the day:

Tonight's game between Arizona and Washington State is a huge showdown on the West Coast. The Wildcats currently hold a 0.5 game lead on the Cougars for the top spot in the conference, but despite Washington State being 20-6 on the year and 11-4 in the Pac-12, oddsmakers and bettors are giving them no respect, setting them as double-digit underdogs tonight.

I am here to defend Washington State. The Cougars' defense is one of the best in the country, ranking 41st in defensive efficiency. Most importantly, they're 14th in opponent 2-point field goal percentage, keeping teams to shooting just 44.9% from 2-point range. That's going to be huge tonight as they face a Wildcats team that takes 68.2% of its shots from down low, the 61st-highest rate in the country.

I won't hesitate to take the points with an undervalued Washington State team.

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

You can check out all of Iain's bets here!

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