2011 NCAA Tournament Predictions – Arizona Wildcats vs Connecticut Huskies Preview
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March Madness Betting – Arizona vs Connecticut Preview & Pick
#6 Arizona vs. #3 Connecticut
NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET – WEST REGION
Date/Time: Saturday, March 26, 7:05 p.m. ET
Venue: Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
Broadcast: CBS
Arizona Wildcats vs. Connecticut Huskies Betting Lines from BetUS.com
Money Line: Arizona +135, Connecticut -155
Spread: Connecticut-3
Over/Under: 145
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Arizona Wildcats (30-7)
Do you get the feeling that Arizona is the “it” team in this year’s NCAA Tournament? The No. 5 seed doesn’t seem to matter, as the Wildcats have bested some national title contenders so far in March Madness.
The first two rounds were nailbiters. Arizona squeaked past Memphis 77-75 before winning a thriller over Texas 70-69. After that, the Wildcats really came into their own. They made a major statement in the Sweet 16 on Thursday by knocking off No. 1 seed Duke 93-77.
The one constant guiding Arizona, of course, is Derrick Williams. He’s been just as good as advertised throughout the tournament, getting better by the game. He busted out for 32 points and 13 boards against the Blue Devils, draining five three-pointers on the way.
With Williams playing so well, it’s enough to wonder if Arizona will in fact have an answer to Kemba Walker’s dominance on Saturday.
UConn Huskies (29-9)
The UConn Huskies continue living up to their “team on a mission” label. After winning five games in five days to capture the Big East tournament, they were written off as “too tired” by many NCAA betting pundits (including me). But UConn just won’t take its foot off the gas. It crushed Bucknell, handled Cincinnati pretty easily and then, in its statement game, scored 74 points to beat stingy San Diego State.
There’s just no beating Kemba Walker, is there? The powerhouse guard Dropped 33 points on Cincinnati and added 36 more against San Diego State. Like Arizona’s Williams, Walker has looked pretty much unstoppable in the tourney so far.
Trends:
Over is 6-1-1 in ARZ last 8 vs. Big East.
Over is 9-3 in ARZ last 12 NCAA Tournament games.
Over is 25-10 in ARZ last 35 Sat. games.
UCONN are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
Over is 9-3 in UCONN last 12 NCAA Tournament games.
Over is 24-10 in UCONN last 34 neutral site games.
The pick:
With Williams and Walker playing so well, I have to think this matchup will come down to whose supporting cast plays better. The guy who stands out to me on either team is UConn’s Jeremy Lamb. He’s quietly played a nice second fiddle to Walker in the NCAA tournament, scoring well above his lackluster regular season average with 16, 14 and 24 points over Connecticut’s three games.
Arizona has been very impressive but UConn is playing with a real chip on its shoulder coming out of the Big East. Because of the Huskies’ momentum and because Lamb has elevated his game to support Walker, I like the Huskies to win a close one.
Arizona vs Connecticut prediction: Connecticut 74, Arizona 70
Money Line: Connecticut -155
Spread: Connecticut -3
Over/Under: UNDER 145
