Long Beach State vs. Arizona Prediction: Can Marcus Tsohonis, Beach Keep Up With Wildcats in Round of 64?
Arizona has had their struggles in the NCAA tournament over the past few seasons as just last year, they lost to Princeton in the first round. Can they regain some pride with a blowout win over Long Beach State? Let’s break it down.
Joey Ruiz - March 21, 2024, 9:20 AM EDT
5 minLong Beach State vs. Arizona Prediction: Can Marcus Tsohonis, Beach Keep Up With Wildcats in Round of 64?
Long Beach State enters this first round matchup after a magical run in the Big West Tournament as they won three straight games, including one as a heavy underdog to UC Irvine to claim the Big West Tournament Title.
Long Beach State vs. Arizona DATE, TIME, WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
- Game Time: 2:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TBS
Long Beach State vs. Arizona Prediction
Long Beach State was a middle of the pack team in conference play as they finished the season 10-10 in the Big West but they actually played a fairly tough non conference schedule which included games against Michigan, San Diego State, Iona, and Louisiana. This LBSU team showed their ability to play up to their competition as they defeated Michigan and Iona on the road and hung tight with San Diego State as they covered the spread in that matchup.
This Long Beach State team is also in a fairly odd and precarious position as their head coach, Dan Monson, has already been let go of his position as head coach for next season but has been continuing to coach the team and will coach the team today as well against Arizona. They have been playing inspired basketball as their offense has been firing on all cylinders. They averaged 81 points per game in the Big West Tournament as they were led by Marcus Tsohonis who averaged just under 20 point per game in the tournament and is averaging just under 18 points per game on the season. Long Beach plays extremely fast and can match Arizona’s high octane pace.
Arizona also enters this matchup on a bit of a snide as they are 1-2 in their last three games with losses to a very bad USC team and Oregon where they blew a double digit halftime lead as they were outscored by 18 points in the second half in that loss to the Ducks.
Do I expect Long Beach State to win? No, but I do think they have the talent to keep this game somewhat close with their pace and offensive explosiveness. With that being said, I am rolling with Long Beach State +21 at -112 for 1.5U as one of my most confident college basketball plays of the day for today’s action on Day 1 of the NCAA tournament Round of 64.
Long Beach State vs. Arizona Pick
1.5U Long Beach State +21 -112 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
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