Oregon vs Stanford Odds, Pick: How to Bet Pac-12 Tilt

The top spot in the Pac-12 will be on the line in Tucson, but this matchup is just as crucial as we get to evaluate another Pac-12 team that we may see in March.

The Oregon Ducks have been very impressive in Pac-12 play, as they are two games behind Arizona and hold a victory over the red-hot Washington State Cougars. The Ducks' hopes for a Pac-12 title are slim, but they are trending up and have an opportunity to grab a road win against a Stanford team trending in the opposite direction.

Stanford dropped to a game below .500 in conference play with its most recent loss to Washington State. That loss marked Stanford's fourth in its past five games. However, the Cardinal now return home with an opportunity to play spoiler down the stretch.

Oregon has reinvented itself after being plagued with injuries early in the season. Injuries forced players to step into more prominent roles and now that the Ducks are healthier, their offense has become multi-dimensional.

It all starts in the middle with big man N'Faly Dante, who has been a dominant force in the paint averaging 15.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He will have to contend with Maxime Raynaud, who is bigger, but Stanford has been soft in the paint and is allowing opponents to covert 60.3% of attempts from in the paint.

However, the Ducks' opportunities for points don't stop there. The Cardinal have also been susceptible on the perimeter. Oregon's backcourt of Jermaine Couisnard and Jackson Shelstad have shown an ability to punish opponents from beyond the arc.

The duo have combined to shoot 35% from 3, which is 2% higher than the national average. They should be able to continue that success against Stanford, which ranks 248th in 3-point percentage allowed.

On the other end of the court, Stanford has shown to be an effective offensive unit, though it certainly has a sweet spot on the court. The Cardinal are going to barrage their opposition from beyond the arc.

Not only have they pulled up from deep often, but they've made nearly 39% of their attempts, which is good for ninth-best in the county.

They may have an opportunity to do damage from deep in this game as Oregon ranks 215th in 3-point percentage allowed. However, the long ball has only accounted for 28% of the points Oregon has surrendered this season, 2% less than the national average.

This game opened as a pick'em and it's clear both sides will have opportunities to rack up buckets. However, in a game between teams that are evenly matched on offense, the little things will make the difference.

The two parts of the box score that will decide this one are rebounding and turnovers — both categories in which the Ducks are far better.

Stanford is 255th in offensive turnover rate and 336th in offensive rebounding rate.

Back the Ducks to get the job done on the road.

Pick: Oregon +1 (Play to -1.5)