The fourth-ranked Arizona Wildcats (9-1) take on the 14^th-ranked FAU Owls in the Desert Holiday Classic on Saturday, December 23 at 3:00 PM ET at T-Mobile Enterprise Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Wildcats are -6.5 (-110) favorites for this matchup.

 

The Wildcats have gone 4-1 in their last five games, with their only loss being against the top-ranked Purdue Boilermakers. They were able to get back on track after that loss with an 87-74 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide.

 

Caleb Love averages 15.5 points per game and is shooting 41.1 percent from the field. He is also making 87.2 percent of his free throws, which will be big late in trying to close out games.

 

The Wildcats are averaging 92.3 points per game and making 50.7 percent of their shots. They move the ball quite well to find scoring opportunities, as they average 21.1 assists each game.

 

They are allowing 67.7 points per game from opposing teams and are grabbing 44.3 rebounds per contest. They also average 4.1 blocks and 9.7 steals, which should disrupt their opponent.

 

The Owls are currently on a two-game win streak heading into this event. Their most recent victory was a 64-54 performance over the St. Bonaventure Bonnies, where they were able to break loose in the second half after a close matchup in their first.

 

Vladislav Goldin leads them with 15.1 points per game and is shooting an impressive 75.9 percent from the field. He also leads the team in rebounds per game, with 4.9 in defensive and 2.1 offensive.

 

The Owls are averaging 83.5 points each game and are connecting on 50.8 percent from the field. They also do well in moving the rock, with 15.9 assists each game.

 

Defensively, the Owls are allowing 68.1 points per game and secure 37.4 rebounds each game. They also put up 3.0 blocks and 8.1 steals each game to combat the Wildcats on defense.

 

MyBookie has the odds for this showdown, in which the Arizona Wildcats are slight favorites to win. According to market analysis, the Wildcats have a 69.8 percent chance at success.

 

The Owls have been scoring at a good rate, but they have typically allowed their opponents to stay within reach at about 10 points. Against the Wildcats, they cannot afford to give them any room to make a run or they will add points in a hurry. Look for the Wildcats to secure another tough game and to cover the spread.