The oddsmakers went with chalk while predicting the Pac-10 Tournament champion, installing No. 1 seed Arizona and No. 2 seed UCLA as the co-favorites to bring home the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The Bruins and Wildcats were locked in a tight battle for the conference championship, with Arizona edging UCLA at the wire to take home the top-seed in the Pac-10 Tournament. The two schools have the added benefit of playing against two of the lower-teams in the tournament, both of which have to play their way into the bracket.
Here’s the full odds with a hearty hat-tip to SB Nation Bay Area.
Arizona: 2-1
UCLA: 2-1
Washington: 5-2
USC: 5-1
Cal: 10-1
Washington State: 10-1
Field (Any other team): 15-1
The Huskies are right there among the favorites, but have to get by Washington State in the first round. The Cougars have given the Huskies fits this year, sweeping the season series. USC, the fourth-seeded team, is also amongst the favorites, checking in with 5-1 odds. Cal could also sneak in, holding 10-1 odds, the same as the Cougars.
The Pac-10 was full of parity this season, with a logjam in the middle of the standings all year. That parity creates an interesting tournament, with at least eight teams holding a somewhat realistic chance of taking home the NCAA Tournament bid.
It all kicks off on Wednesday with the opening round at Staples Center. For more on the games, check out our Pac-10 Tournament StoryStream. For more on the Huskies and Cougars, check out SB Nation’s UW Dawg Pound and CougCenter.