The story of the Pac-12 regular season was quite a tale. It all started at the top, with the Arizona Wildcats looking and proving to be the overwhelming favorites to dominate the conference.
However, as the season went along, contenders rose, and Arizona fell several times. The Wildcats even lost control of the Pac-12 down the stretch to Washington State, but they gained it back quickly as the Cougars couldn't hold on.
In between that struggle at the top between Arizona and Washington State, we saw tremendous play from the likes of Oregon, Colorado and even USC down the stretch.
So, a conference tournament that once looked to be a foregone conclusion could wind up being one of the most entertaining as we approach Selection Sunday.
Here's a 2024 Pac-12 tournament betting preview, including odds, picks and a bracket.
Pac-12 Tournament Odds
| Team Name | Odds (Via DraftKings) |
| Arizona | -160 |
| Colorado | +500 |
| Washington State | +1000 |
| Oregon | +1500 |
| Utah | +3000 |
| Washington | +3000 |
| USC | +3000 |
| UCLA | +4500 |
| Stanford | +6500 |
| Cal | +13000 |
| Arizona State | +16000 |
| Oregon State | +35000 |
Pac-12 Tournament Bracket
Arizona Wildcats -160
We have to begin with the Arizona Wildcats, who come into the tournament with a 24-7 record and have all the looks of a team that may be cutting down the nets a month from now.
Arizona is an elite team on both ends and will be favored in every matchup in this tournament.
However, the Washington State Cougars exposed them in both of their meetings. The Wildcats' losses to the Cougars showed the volatility that their backcourt can have when shooting from the perimeter.
There's more than one team that can match up with the size of the Wildcats in the tournament, and if their guards go cold, we could see an upset.
At this price, there's no value in laying the chalk with the Wildcats.
Washington State Cougars +500
We talked in the open about how the Cougars went on an impeccable run during conference play, only to make it to the top of the conference and have it slip away from them with just a couple of games remaining.
Despite their late choke, this Washington State club is a real threat. The Cougars have the size to give any team problems in the paint on both ends of the floor, but they've had their issues shooting.
Washington State ranked just eighth in the Pac-12 in effective field goal percentage, and its streaky shooting cost it down the stretch.
It'll be interesting to see how the Cougars fare in the semifinals.
Colorado Buffaloes +500
The Buffs got off to a hot start, and they had all the makings of a team that could give the Wildcats trouble.
However, that wound up not being the case, as injuries to key players mounted, and they dropped key matchups against the two teams listed above.
When healthy, Colorado has shown it has immense upside, as it boasts a trio of athletic big men down low and a backcourt that can light it up from beyond the arc.
We also can't shrug off that it's the hottest team entering this tournament, as it ended the season on a six-game winning streak.
However, the Buffs' chances in the tournament are all dependent on the health of star freshman Cody Williams. Williams missed the last four games of the regular season.
If Williams is healthy by the start of the tournament, Colorado has a shot to win it.
The Look Ahead: Matchups to Watch
Games between eight and nine seeds are always tight in March, and that'll be no different here. The USC Trojans were one of the most disappointing teams in the country until the final few weeks of the regular season.
USC figured it out down the stretch and rattled off three straight wins. The Trojans defeated Arizona, and lost narrowly to Colorado and Washington State in games prior.
As for the Washington Huskies, they defeated the Cougars in their final regular season game but lost to the Trojans in the game prior.
If USC opens as an underdog, it's the team to buy.
Oregon vs. UCLA
Assuming the Bruins handle business against Oregon State, we have a highly competitive quarterfinal matchup on tap.
UCLA and Oregon split the season series, and both matchups were tightly contested.
The Ducks are the better team offensively, as they've proven they can beat teams at all three levels. However, we've seen the Bruins neutralize their offense offense by controlling the paint and the tempo.
This game will be a grind, but we should end up with Oregon as a short favorite, making its moneyline the play.
Washington State vs Colorado
This is looking well ahead to the semifinals, but this will be the matchup that our futures hinge on. These two teams match up well, and the battle of the bigs will be fun to watch.
That was apparent during the regular season as they split the two meetings. But as we talked about in the Colorado section above, the X-factor will be Williams' health.
If Colorado is without him, I find it hard to see it advancing in this spot. But if he's healthy, it'll likely be favored.
Pac-12 Tournament Futures
While Arizona is clearly the most talented team in this tournament, it's also proven to be very vulnerable.
However, the Wildcats shouldn't face much resistance until the championship game on Saturday.
One of our two picks could pull off a final upset before Selection Sunday in that game. The two teams to invest in here are Washington State and Colorado.
Both teams have the makeup to take down the Wildcats in the championship game, and while the matchup between the two will eliminate one of them, it doesn't matter to us since they're the same price at DraftKings.
Splitting a unit between these two teams will likely leave you with a great price come Saturday, and then, you can let it ride or hedge.
