The Las Vegas Clash offers the marquee matchup of this two-game event when the No. 10 ranked Arizona Wildcats (7-1) of the Pac-12 meet the No. 14 Indiana Hoosiers (8-1) from the Big Ten.
Each school enters Saturday night coming off victories, setting up a fitting end to the Las Vegas Clash with two of the best teams in the country.
Who will win this tilt? Find out in our free Arizona vs. Indiana college basketball picks and predictions for Saturday, December 10.
Arizona vs Indiana best odds
Arizona vs Indiana picks and predictions
The oddsmakers have made this a “pick-em,” and my best bet is for Arizona to win this game straight up.
Lithuanian junior forward Azuolas Tubelis is one of the best bigs in the nation, and his frontcourt mate Oumar Ballo is no slouch either. Both average nearly a double-double and are tough tandem to stop. Tubelis is the Wildcats’ leading scorer, while Ballo leads in boards and blocks.
Arizona isn’t just a kick-it-down on-the-block, and score team-guards Courtney Ramey, Kerr Kriisa, and Pelle Larsson are all shooting at least 40% from downtown while Kriisa is dishing nearly nine dimes a game.
Indiana senior forward Trayce Jackson-Davis is having a strong start to his season. The preseason All-American is the Hoosiers’ leading scorer and rebounder, but forwards Race Thompson and Miller Kopp make strong contributions on both ends of the floor.
Indiana doesn’t have the snipers from beyond the arc Arizona has, but Xavier Johnson and Tamar Bates are draining 40% of their threes. Jalen Hood-Schifino is off to a rough start and is questionable for Saturday night.
Arizona should win on Saturday. The Hoosiers have one of the best defenses in the college game, but this will be the best offense Indiana has faced thus far, and it will have a hard time keeping the high-scoring Wildcats from executing on the offensive end. They can beat Indiana from the inside or outside and have a team loaded with international experience.
Indiana goes as Jackson-Davis does, but the big-fella lives at the rim, and he’s up against a lengthy defense that will make his life miserable. Arizona can live with Jackson-Davis becoming a facilitator rather than a scorer, and if they can accomplish that, and I believe they will, Arizona wins this game.
Finally, Arizona is built to score big — it’s what the Wildcats do, and the Hoosiers offense won’t be able to keep up. Indiana plays great defense, but Arizona has too much firepower inside and reliable outside shooting to make up the difference.
My best bet: Arizona moneyline (-110 at DraftKings)
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Arizona vs Indiana spread analysis
College hoops fans are in for a treat, as this should be an exciting game. I’ve already explained why I bet Arizona on the moneyline, but I have some extra notes.
Tubelis gets most of the pub, but Ballo might be more valuable. He scored 30 with 13 rebounds in the finals of the Maui Invitational against No. 10 Creighton and has scored 17 or more in four of his last five. Ballo is blocking two shots a game, is a capable passer, and could be too much for the Hoosiers.
Indiana will score the basketball against one of the worst team defenses in D1 hoops. Still, they mainly score inside the arc and don’t often shoot from downtown. The Hoosiers drain 35% of the triples they take, but I don’t believe they shoot well enough against a bad Wildcats defense, allowing 35% from beyond the arc.
Arizona ranks 30th with a 1.36 assist-to-turnover ratio, facing Indiana with the 18th-best ratio in the college game.
Arizona vs Indiana Over/Under analysis
The oddsmakers have set a 158.5 total, and I’m leaning Under for this matchup.
Arizona and Indiana play up-tempo basketball and are two of the fastest sides in the country. They’ll play fast enough to exceed the number, but the Hoosiers don’t have the offense to score big, and their elite-level defense will keep the Wildcats from scoring anywhere close to their 91-point average.
The Wildcats average 19.5 fouls per game, but the Hoosiers knock down just 70% of their free throws. On the other side, Indiana gets whistled 16.5 times a game against an Arizona offense shooting 72% from the charity stripe.
Both sides are well-below-average offensive-rebounding teams, and it's hard to hit a high total when there aren’t many second-chance points.
The Over is 5-3 through the Wildcats' eight games, and the Over is 1-2 on neutral courts. Indiana is 5-4 overall, and the Over is 0-1 when the Hoosiers play on a neutral court.
Arizona vs Indiana betting trend to know
The Under is 4-1 in Hoosiers' last five games following a straight-up win. Find more College basketball betting trends for Arizona vs. Indiana.
Arizona vs Indiana game info
| Location: | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, NV |
| Date: | Saturday, December 10, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | FOX |
