The college basketball season is in full swing, and Nick Makowitz is guiding you through each conference and giving you the best bets to make. Here, we look at a preview of the Pac-12 Conference.
Who is Favored to Win the Pac-12 Basketball Championship?
UCLA is the favorite to win the Pac-12 championship this season. After them, Arizona has the best odds to bring home the Pac-12 title. Check out the list below for full 2022-23 Pac-12 Championship odds.
(Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook)
- UCLA +115
- Arizona +115
- USC +1500
- Arizona State +1500
- Oregon +1900
- Utah +3100
- Stanford +4800
- Colorado +9500
- Washington State +9500
- Washington +12000
- California +25000
- Oregon State +25000
UCLA Odds to Win the Pac-12 Basketball Championship
UCLA brought back a great core of Jaime Jaquez, Tyger Campbell, David Singleton and Jaylen Clark and added two top-20 freshmen in combo guard Amari and big man Adem Bona. Defense has always been coach Mick Cronin’s calling card, but this UCLA team is loaded with offensive talent. Jaime Jaquez has emerged as a Player of the Year candidate, and the Bruins’ play one of the most efficient and disciplined styles of basketball possible. If Bailey and Bona can continue to develop and take another step forward as impact players, the sky’s the limit for UCLA.
Arizona Odds to Win the Pac-12 Basketball Championship
Arizona is hands down my favorite team to watch play basketball. The Wildcats push the tempo on misses, makes, turnovers, when they have a lead, when they’re trailing, it doesn’t matter. On top of that, Arizona has the most efficient offensive in the nation according to Kenpom. Despite losing a couple great players to the NBA, Tommy Lloyd’s group has good guard play, great shooting and the best duo of bigs in the country in Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo. They’re not quite as strong on the defensive end of the floor, but the Wildcats really just want to outscore their opponents more than they want to shut them down offensively.
Past Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Champions
Multiple team indicates a tie
- 2022 – Arizona
- 2021 – Oregon
- 2020 – Oregon
- 2019 – Washington
- 2018 – Arizona
- 2017 – Arizona & Oregon
- 2016 – Oregon
- 2015 – Arizona
- 2014 – Arizona
- 2013 – UCLA
Best Bet to Win the Pac-12 Basketball Championship
Arizona +115
Arizona slipped up in its conference-opener on the road against Utah, but it has rebounded nicely since then. The Pac-12 is so top-heavy that the regular season champ will largely be dictated by the two head-to-head matchups between Arizona and UCLA, and I believe the Wildcats have the edge. The Jaquez-Tubelis matchup will be a great one if we see both star players covering each other, but outside of that, I think Arizona will be able to score more consistently on the Bruins than vice versa.
Oumar Ballo should be able to handle Adem Bona or Kenneth Nwuba on the inside with relative ease, and the bright green light for Kerr Kriisa, Pelle Larson and Courtney Ramey may be too much to handle for UCLA. Of course, it’s possible one or both of the teams falters against an inferior opponent, but if either can win both games against the other, they’ll probably end up as the Pac-12 champ.
Where Can I Bet on the Pac-12 Men’s College Basketball Champion?
There are tons of legal online sportsbooks in the US. DraftKings, FanDuel and BetMGM are some of the most popular ones, but FTN will help you check out all the signup offers other books have as well. Be sure to check out the FTNBets College Basketball Guide before placing any wagers.
Step 1: Set Up a Sportsbook Account
Download any of the sportsbooks linked above, create an account and provide some basic personal information.
Step 2: Make a Deposit
Link your bank account or debit card to your account, or select an alternative method to make a deposit. Be sure to take advantage of any and all deposit bonuses that your sportsbook offers. It’s a great way for new bettors to build up their bankroll.
Step 3: Place a College Basketball Conference Outright Futures Bet
Within your sportsbook, navigate to the men’s college basketball futures section, find the conference outright or conference winners section and bet on the team you think is going to take home the conference crown.