NFL Tickets
TV Schedule: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 11 p.m. ET, PAC-12 Network
Arena: Matthew Knight Arena, Eugene, Ore.
The Oregon Ducks will be disappointed to have fallen to the Boise State Broncos, especially after slipping out of the top 25. They will, however, be quite confident that they could have won the game at a neutral site and will carry that momentum all the way into March.
Next up for the Ducks is a surprisingly difficult matchup with the UC Irvine Anteaters, who also disappointingly lost a game to Boise State that they had an opportunity to win.
UC Irvine will have to win the Big West Conference tournament in order to make the 2016 NCAA tournament, but their 7-3 start to the season will have them extremely confident heading into conference play. No other team in the Big West has looked as good as the Anteaters in non-conference play, so it shouldn’t be a stretch to assume that they are the clear favorite to win it all, as of now.
That being said, Oregon’s weaknesses are UC Irvine’s strengths and vice versa. The Ducks should come into this game as a heavy favorite, but Mamadou N’Diaye could absolutely destroy Oregon on the inside. The Ducks are ranked No. 197 in the country in rebounding, so the offense will have to be spot on if they want to hold off a difficult mid-major like UC Irvine.
However, give this one to Oregon at home, because this team is a legitimate contender for a Pac-12 title and coming off a disappointing loss that they feel they deserved to win. The Anteaters put up a fight, but Dillon Brooks and Co. pull away in the second half.
Prediction: Oregon 78, UC Irvine 68
Taylor Sturm is a Featured Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @TSturmRS, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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