CBB weekly betting preview: Kansas on upset alert in West Virginia
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Here's a betting breakdown of the week's top college basketball matchups.
Stats and rankings are as of Tuesday, Feb. 11
Rhode Island at No. 6 Dayton (Tuesday)
It may not be getting the hype as some other games, but one of the top matchups this week is an Atlantic 10 clash between Rhode Island and Dayton. Everyone knows about the Flyers by now, but don't sleep on a Rhode Island team that's won 10 straight games.
Three of the Rams' five losses this season came before Christmas on the road to top-25 teams in Maryland, LSU, and West Virginia. Following a brief two-game losing streak in early January, Rhode Island has dominated, winning seven of its last 10 games by double digits while going 8-2 against the spread. The Rams have also been money away from home, covering five straight road games.
We'll find out just how good Rhode Island is Tuesday when it travels to No. 6 Dayton. The Flyers have rattled off 12 straight wins after losing to Colorado on Dec. 21 and feature an offense that ranks No. 2 in offensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. Forward Obi Toppin is a National Player of the Year candidate with averages of 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, but Dayton is a deep squad with three other players averaging at least 11 points per contest.
This is the game of the year in the Atlantic 10, with Dayton being installed as a hefty 9.5-point favorite. That line feels a little overvalued in a matchup between two red-hot teams. Look for the Rams to stay within the number Tuesday night.
No. 3 Kansas at No. 14 West Virginia (Wednesday)
West Virginia looks to make a statement Wednesday night when it hosts No. 3 Kansas. The Mountaineers had a chance to upset the Jayhawks on the road earlier this season before falling 60-53.
Fans of defense will love this matchup. While they go about it in different ways, these are the nation's two top-rated teams in defensive efficiency. West Virginia ranks second in effective field-goal percentage against and third in 3-point percentage against, while Kansas ranks fifth and 18th in those respective categories. Both clubs rank in the top 20 in points allowed, but if there's one area where West Virginia may have an edge, it's on the boards, as the Mountaineers average 41.4 rebounds per game (14th).
The line for this contest is expected to be right around a pick 'em. All five of the Mountaineers' losses this season have come away from Morgantown, so, in what should be a tight game throughout, the lean here is West Virginia pulling it out and remaining unbeaten at home.
No. 16 Colorado at No. 17 Oregon (Thursday)
The two top teams in the Pac-12 square off Thursday when Colorado travels to Oregon. The Ducks have yet to lose at home this season thanks to one of the nation's top offenses, as Oregon enters Thursday ranked No. 10 in terms of efficiency.
Colorado is still undervalued on the national stage. The Buffaloes are one of only eight teams that rank in the top 33 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Led by guards McKinley Wright (13.8 ppg), Tyler Bey (13.6 ppg), and D'Shawn Schwartz (11.2 ppg), Colorado is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the country at 37.2% from beyond the arc.
Oregon is projected to be around a 3-point favorite, and while the Buffaloes have been good on the road, look for the Ducks to prevail behind another strong game from Player of the Year candidate Payton Pritchard, who's averaging more than 20 points per contest at home this season.
Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.