Last year, Oregon went on an unexpected three-day run to win the inaugural Players Era Festival, taking out Texas A&M, San Diego State, and Alabama. Is a repeat in the cards for the Ducks? No. 21 Auburn will hope to kickstart its own run to the tournament title with a win vs. Oregon (8:00 p.m. ET, truTV) at Michelob Ultra Arena.
The Tigers (4-1) have a ranked vs. ranked matchup vs. Michigan to look forward to tomorrow, but first up is a duel with the Ducks (4-0), who will be tested for the first time this season in Vegas.
Last year’s tournament title run for Oregon began and ended with a win over an SEC team, with a win over San Diego State sandwiched between.
The same could be the Ducks’ path this time around, with the Aztecs up next tomorrow and Tennessee and Alabama in the 18-team field and eyeing a run to the championship game.
This evening’s matchup vs. Oregon will be the second test of the season for Auburn, who lost by one eight days ago to Houston, who is also in the Players Era Festival field.
But before the Tigers can think too much about a potential rematch with the No. 2 Cougars, they must navigate today’s matchup with the Ducks, who are led by big man Nate Bittle and guards Jackson Shelstad and Takai Simpkins.
Will the Tigers take care of business this evening? Read on for our Auburn vs. Oregon prediction and best bets. Also, get the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Auburn vs. Oregon Prediction and Best Bets
Prediction: Auburn to win
After needing overtime to scrape by Bethune-Cookman to open the season, Auburn has been much better in blowout wins over Merrimack (95-57), Wofford (93-62), and Jackson State (112-66). And their lone-blemish, a 73-72 loss to Houston in which Tahaad Pettiford missed two potential game-winners in the final seconds, was an impressive performance against a top title contender, both because of how close they came to winning and because of how hard it is to score 70 points against the Cougars.
That Auburn enters today’s game vs. Oregon having scored 90+ in four games and even managed 70+ against Houston is a positive sign for the season going forward. That is because these results have occurred with Pettiford misfiring mightily out of the gate.
Through five games, the Tigers’ sophomore star is shooting just 28.8% from the field, including 19.4% (7 of 36) from three. That will not persist all season.
Top Players for Auburn
- Keyshawn Hall: 23.3 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 2.5 APG
- Keshawn Murphy: 14.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 2.3 APG
- Tahaad Pettiford: 10.8 PPG, 3.4 APG, 2.6 RPG
Top Players for Oregon
- Nate Bittle: 18.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 3.0 BPG
- Jackson Shelstad: 18.3 PPG, 5.0 APG, 3.0 RPG
- Takai Simpkins: 14.0 PPG, 2.3 RPG
This evening would be a fine time for Pettiford to break out of his slump, as the Ducks are heating up offensively after a couple of subpar showings against Hawaii and Rice.
Against the Warriors and Owls, the Ducks made only 34.5% of their shots from the field, including just 9 of 44 from three.
But against South Dakota State and Oregon State, Oregon shot a combined 46.1% from the field, including 39.1% (25 of 64) from three.
Auburn should win vs. Oregon, but don’t be surprised if the Ducks snatch this one. They have the offensive weapons to keep up in a higher-scoring game, and though it is still early and they have yet to face the kind of talent they will tonight, they rank 29th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
Auburn vs. Oregon Best Bets
Auburn/Oregon First Half Over 72.5 (-105 at BetOnline)
I expect to see some points in the opening 20 minutes of this matchup. Auburn is a deep offensive team with an array of threats, and while Oregon cannot match that depth, defense is the weaker point of this Tigers team and I think the Ducks can hold their own on their scoreboard.
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