Dayton vs Arizona Plugs Prediction College Basketball Picks 3/23/24

- Arizona (26-8) vs Dayton (25-7)

Today to open the games we head to the round 2 of the West Regionals where #7 Dayton takes on #2 Arizona at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah! So far in this tournament we have seen complete madness! We have seen so many "power programs" already get bounced and we have seen some very crazy games! This will certainly be another great game between two hungry teams! We will look at some betting angles and come up with a winning prediction!

( Pic - NCAA.com )

I have not been high on this Dayton team this year but I have to give credit where credit is due and The Dayton Flyers have gotten this far and fought every step of the way! The Flyers have a good overall record this season, sitting at 25-7 and their 14-4 in conference this year after they defeated Nevada by a score of 63-60 in their last game. Dayton was down 34-25 at halftime against Nevada and they were even down 17 points with like only seven minutes left, but they muscled up a 24-4 run for a incredible comeback and took the win. The Flyers shot 45.7% from the field and made 8 three pointers in the game. Dayton has won three of their last four games, but they have truly played inconsistently over the last few weeks. The Flyers are putting up 74 points per game and giving up 66 points against per game this year. DaRon Holmes II is averaging 20.3 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, and 2.6 assists per game. Dayton is shooting 47.7% from the field, 73.4% on free throws, and 40.2% on three pointers this season, so this offense can't be underestimated but they also can't be trusted either! Can they find enough muscle and will to move on or is this their last game of the season!

( Pic - NCAA.com )

This Arizona team has talent and the ability to make a deep run in this tournament! The Wildcats are 26-8 overall this year and went 15-5 In conference! We just seen these boys beat up on Long Beach State, winning by a score of 85-65 in their last game. Arizona led 41-35 at halftime and they scored 44 points in the second half for the win. The Wildcats shot 41.7% from the field and made 13 three pointers in the game. Arizona has won six of their last eight games and they finished first in the PAC-12 regular season standings. The Wildcats are scoring 87.9 points per game with 42.8 rebounds per game and 18.6 assists per game, while giving up 72 points against per game this season. Caleb Love is averaging 18.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 3.4 assists per game. Arizona is shooting 48.9% from the field, 71.9% on free throws, and 37.1% on three pointers this year. Can Zona continue their dominance in this game and continue their path to cutting down the nets!

( Pic - NCAA.com )

💎 ARIZONA -9.5 -110 ( 1 unit )

This was such a easy call for me in this game, I have not believed in this Dayton team all year and I truly believe they are due for some serious regression! I know that Arizona had some trouble with Long Beach State in the first half of their first game, but they were able to make the adjustment and pull away in the second half and won by 20 points. That's what makes this team so dangerous! The Wildcats have picked up two losses in their last four games, but I don’t think they will have any issues here. I mean seriously, we just watched Dayton look awful for 33 minutes and we're getting ran out of the gym against Nevada in their last game! I know they went on a impressive run over the last seven minutes and stole the win, but Arizona is much better than Nevada and don't expect that to happen again. I expect the Wildcats to dominate the inside and their rebounding advantage is going to be a huge factor in Arizonas blowout win today! Take Arizona to win by double digits and send Dayton packing with no problem today