California vs. Arizona odds, props, predictions: Wildcats looking to avoid fourth Pac-12 upset

Arizona is the most talented team in the Pac-12 but has three losses in conference play, all as the spread favorite. In fact, Arizona has lost two conference games outright when the spread favored them by double digits. Tonight's matchup is the second of the season between the Golden Bears and Wildcats, with Arizona winning the first 100-82.

California is struggling this season but is on a two-game winning streak. They have won four of their last six, and both defeats were by seven points or less. The Golden Bears ATS record this season is 10-9-1, and their overall season record is 8-12. Cal has played better than expected in many respects, and seven of their eight wins have come as outright underdogs. 

Arizona is 13-7 against the spread this season and boasts an overall record of 15-5. All five of the Wildcats' defeats have come as favorites, but their first two losses were against ranked opponents. Since Pac-12 play has started, the Wildcats have lost to Stanford (82-100) as a -12 favorite, Washington State (70-73) as a -9 favorite and Oregon State (80-83) as an -18.5 favorite. Arizona's biggest weakness is getting into shootouts and trying to outscore opponents without enough defensive resistance.

Here is the California vs. Arizona betting news, team props and a betting prediction for tonight's Pac-12 Conference matchup. The game tips off at 8:30 p.m. on the Pac-12 Network.

Live odds for California vs. Arizona

Here are the spread, moneyline and total points live odds for California vs. Arizona at the best online sportsbooks.

Bet now at the best college basketball betting sites using the latest sportsbook promos and bonuses.

Arizona Wildcats betting news

The Wildcats started the season as strong as any team in the country. They beat Duke outright as a five-point underdog and rose to the No. 1 ranking. The shine has come off some, having gone 7-5 in their last 12 games, but they have managed to get to first place in the Pac-12. 

What is frustrating for Arizona fans is that they win tight games with small spreads, like in their last matchup with Oregon. Yet when they are massive favorites, they play down to their competition too often and get into scoring contests. While they can win many such games, ranking sixth for adjusted offensive efficiency on Kenpom, they have lost several shootouts.

The Wildcats rank 11th for adjusted defensive efficiency, so they can play high-level defense, but sometimes the focus isn't there. They rank 11th for adjusted tempo and can run and gun with the best of them. Yet, while they score quickly, they let their opponents run on them, too. Four Wildcats are averaging double figures, and a fifth, Kylan Boswell, averages 9.8 PPG. 

Caleb Love leads the team in scoring at 19.3 PPG, and the next three top scorers are hyper-efficient. Pelle Larsson (12.8 PPG), Oumar Ballo (12.3 PPG) and Keshad Johnson (11.8 PPG) all shoot over 50% from the field, and Larsson is lethal from three at 45.7%. They have so many high-level scorers that few opponents can beat them when the defense plays like it is capable. 

Check and bet: College basketball odds | March Madness betting sites

California Golden Bears betting news

The Golden Bears' season looked like it was about to fall apart completely. Yet they have embraced the grind and are playing their best basketball of the year. Before conference play, California had not won two games in a row. The Golden Bears are on their second two-game win streak in Pac-12 play and have won four of their last six.

All four wins have come as outright underdogs, and even in the two defeats they have played tight contests, losing by single digits. Their poor overall record has led to some ugly advanced stats. Cal ranks 100th for adjusted offensive efficiency and 156th for adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bears will be ready as they have played many good opponents, though, with the 49th-ranked strength of schedule on Kenpom.

Cal also has three high-level scorers, and leading scorer Jaylon Tyson (20.6 PPG) ranks 17th in the nation in scoring. He can go off on any night and carry Cal to a win. He is not scoring simply because of volume; he is shooting 48.8% from the field and 36.7% from three, which are solid numbers for such a high-level scorer. California's star player in the post, Fardaws Aimaq (15.3 PPG, 10.8 RPG), is one of only a handful of players to average a double-double in the entire nation.

California vs. Arizona team props at FanDuel Sportsbook

Here are some of the top team prop markets for California vs. Arizona from FanDuel Sportsbook.

• 1st half moneyline: California (+590) vs. Arizona (-950)
• 1st half spread: California +10.5 (-115) vs. Arizona -10.5 (-105)
• 1st half total: 75.5 total points OVER (-106) / UNDER (-118)
• California 69.5 total points OVER (-110) / UNDER (-110)
• Arizona 88.5 total points OVER (-112) / UNDER (-108)
• Arizona total points: ODD (-110) / EVEN (-110)
• California total points: ODD (-108) / EVEN (-112)
• Two or more three-point field goals in the first three minutes: YES (+128) / UNDER (-164)
• Both teams to score in the first two minutes: YES (-295) / UNDER (+220)
• 2.5 total points scored in the first minute of the game: OVER (-118) / UNDER (-112)

California vs. Arizona prediction: Cal keeps it close

The Golden Bears may not upset Arizona on the road, but they are playing their best basketball of the season and will give the Wildcats a tough matchup. With a spread close to 20 points, remember that California has not lost a game by more than 10 points in their last eight contests. 

Pick: California