Expectations for March Madness are high for two Arizona teams who have been performing well in terms of player efficiency ratings.
For the third time in the last four years, both the Wildcats and the Antelopes from Arizona will be participating in the NCAA Tournament’s field of 68. They are scheduled to play in the first round.
Arizona sports betting now has an extra boost of energy.
The Wildcats secured the second seed in the West region of the tournament and are scheduled to play against Big West champion Long Beach State in Salt Lake City on Thursday. On the other hand, the ‘Lopes grabbed the 12th seed in the West region and will be up against fifth seed St. Mary’s in Spokane on Friday.
Yengols.com reports that the McNeese Cowboys have the top team efficiency in the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament, boasting an average player efficiency rating (PER) of 20.36. For more rankings and analysis, be sure to visit DraftKings Arizona and other similar apps.
Top 15 Players with the Highest Average Player Efficiency
Antelopes and Wildcats’ Ranking
The Antelopes are sixth in the national rankings with an average player efficiency rating of 18.22, while the Wildcats are eighth with a rating of 17.42. McNeese leads the country in PER with 20.36, followed by St. Mary’s (19.82), Montana State (19.10), Alabama (19.09), and Gonzaga (18.96).
In terms of the local teams’ probabilities, the ‘Lopes face a tough challenge in their initial matchup with the Gaels, with odds at +190 on ESPN BET Arizona. Meanwhile, Arizona is strongly favored at -4500 against The Beach.
The Arizona CBB teams have higher national rankings in Player Efficiency Ratings than Texas Tech (17.28 PER), Baylor (16.87), Colorado State (16.57), UConn (16.56), Iowa State (16.18), UAB (16.15), and FAU (16.03). Despite this, all of these teams are still within the top 15 nationally.
There is doubt about whether this metric alone will be enough to spark a noteworthy March performance in Phoenix and Tucson. Arizona has the fourth-highest chances of winning the title in the country, as reported by ESPN BET Arizona, with Grand Canyon standing at +1100.
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Author
Peterson Christopher, who has spent over seven years reporting on sports and sports betting in Arizona for publications such as ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly, and the Green Valley News, is now heading the writing team at yengols.com.
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