To kick off the South Region of the March Madness bracket, the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats and No. 15 Princeton Tigers will face off.
Arizona has been one of the better teams in the nation this season, consistently being ranked in the top 10 and winning the Pac-12 tournament over UCLA earlier this weekend. Princeton has had a successful season in its own right, finishing in a tie for first in the Ivy League during the regular season and then defeating Yale for the conference tournament victory.
In what is certainly a lopsided matchup on paper, this is a very interesting game to look at from a betting perspective.
Read on for my Arizona vs Princeton prediction and best bets.
Arizona vs Princeton Odds
Note: CBB odds mentioned in this article for Arizona vs Princeton were used from BetRivers Sportsbook, unless otherwise noted, and are current as of noon ET on Tuesday, March 14.
- Moneyline: Arizona (-1115) | Princeton (+500)
- Spread: Arizona -14.5 (-112) | Princeton +14.5 (-109)
- Over/Under: Over 154.5 (-110) | Under 153.5 (-110)
Arizona vs Princeton Pick of the Day
Keep reading for more Arizona vs Princeton betting tips.
Arizona vs Princeton Prediction
Arizona 83, Princeton 66
The Wildcats are undoubtedly one of the best teams in the country right now and stand a legitimate chance at winning the entire tournament. Princeton stands as their first test, but it should not be a difficult one for them to pass.
I fully expect Arizona to win this game handily.
Arizona has the fourth-best offense in the nation, according to KenPom’s AdjO statistic, and Princeton’s defense is ranked just 137th in AdjD.
This is a true first-round lopsided matchup and with Ąžuolas Tubelis firing on an all cylinders for Arizona, Princeton will have their hands full.
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Arizona vs Princeton Best Bets
Arizona -14.5 (-112) | FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
The 14.5-point spread is a lot for any team to cover, but the Arizona Wildcats are constructed in a way that should cover this spread with ease. This is a game they will likely be in control of the entire way and may only get close to the spread at the end of the game after a blowout through the first 30 minutes of play.
Princeton does not possess the offensive firepower nor the defensive prowess to stand toe-to-toe with the Wildcats and might even have difficulty covering a spread of this size. I like Arizona to cover considering the chance they win this game by 30-plus points.
Under 154.5 Total Points (-110) | FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
It is typically good practice to eye the Under in a game where a blowout is expected. Arizona’s offense is all the talk, but their defense certainly does not lag behind much.
The team is balanced, and I fully expect them to hold the Tigers down to the point where they do not score nearly enough to make this game a shootout.
The only issue with taking the Under in this spot is that you are essentially capping Arizona’s offense that is capable of exploding for 90-plus points all by themselves. Regardless, I like this spot given that the line is set fairly high enough already.
Arizona vs Princeton Same Game Parlay
Arizona vs Princeton SGP (+250) | FanDuel Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
- Arizona -14.5 (-112)
- Under 154.5 Total Points (-110)
In this high-value two-leg parlay, I like putting both the Arizona -14.5 spread and the Under 154.5 together to get a generous plus-odds wager of +250. Arizona has all the talent in the world to be able to cover this lofty spread, and the total is set so high that it should be difficult to go Over.
