Card Luv's Thursday Forecast

Stanford (+5) at Washington State -- Maybe I'm a bit biased here, but I think that there is a lot working against the Cougars in this match-up. I think this will be a hard fought game, and while WSU might pull off the win, I don't think that they can cover this spread. Stanford has won 21 of 23 meetings between these two schools, and while WSU is having an impressive season, Stanford's interior presence should eventually wear down the Cougar's thin front line. The games between these two schools have been close of late, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this one come down to the final couple of minutes.

California (+8) at Washington -- This is an interesting match-up of two very inconsistent squads. Washington comes into the game following a 30-point loss to Arizona game, which came after a three game winning streak, which followed a 28-point loss to WSU. Although Cal has settled into the lower half of the Pac 10 standings, this is a team that has been competitive in a number of their losses and Saturday's 19 point loss to Stanford at home is not indicative of how competitive this team has truly been. Washington should pull this off and keep their slim tournament hopes alive, but I can't see them covering an eight point spread against a game Cal team.

Arizona (-12.5) at Oregon State -- The Beavers are just what the doctor ordered for an Arizona team that has struggled to find their identity in this grueling Pac 10 race. After beating Washington like they stole something over the weekend, expect to see Arizona handle Oregon State with similar ease. It is almost as though the Beavers have just given up on this season and are now playing with absolutely no fire at all. Jay John has clearly lost this team, and many players seem disinterested on the court during the games. Experts were looking to Cuic to provide veteran leadership to this squad, and he has instead missed a number of games with injuries and not produced when he has played. This season should mark the end of a disappointing career for Cuic who will likely turn pro and play in Europe following the season. Arizona should easily cover against an Oregon State team that has thrown in the towel.

Arizona State (+15) at Oregon -- This line looks just about right to me as Oregon should be able to handle the Sun Devils fairly easily in Eugene. Although Arizona State is beginning to show some signs of improvement (one point loss to WSU at home), this is a tough place to play and I don't think ASU has any answers for an Oregon team that will be attempting to rebound from their most disappointing week this season. Although the Ducks have been losers of three of their past four games (they played the Washington game without Aaron Brooks), I expect to see them come out strong early in the game and put it away by halftime.