#1 Baylor vs Oregon College Basketball Betting Prediction

Baylor at Oregon

#1 Baylor (9-0) laying only 8 points against Oregon (6-5). This same Oregon Ducks team essentially lost by 30 to both BYU and Houston. Ducks also lost to Arizona State and Stanford - both teams that lost to Baylor by double digits. So Baylor -8 seems like a no-brainer here, right? Maybe not...

Ranked teams on the road - especially on Saturdays - is always the most dangerous spot in a college basketball schedule. Baylor is undefeated and the top ranked team in the nation. The pressure of the number 1 ranking has not been so comforting this season though. Duke lost on the road at Ohio State just a day after receiving the top spot, and then Purdue fell to Rutgers on the road just a few days after receiving their first #1 AP ranking in school history. Now #1 Baylor hits the road to the Pacific Northwest as they go Deep In The Woods to play the Oregon Ducks.  The average Joe thinks Baylor -8 is a lock, however the line is already starting to move down to -7.5 or -7 in some places.  This reverse line movement suggests some big money sharps, or professional bettors, are betting heavily on the home dog Oregon.  Make sure to check out BetKarma's free Odds Comparison Tool to easily find the best line available at any given moment!

 

Team Performances

Baylor is coming off a wacky 57-36 home win where neither team could shoot the ball - Baylor went 6 of 24 and Villanova 6 of 27 from downtown. After a week of final exams they’ll head out to play an Oregon team that will have the home court advantage and will be desperate for a big win. Similar to a 5-4 talented but disappointing Memphis team taking down 8-1 Alabama at home earlier this week, I think the ‘back against the wall’ and buy-low spot fits with Oregon as well.

For as much preseason hype Oregon had, this season has pretty much been a train wreck. Sitting at 5-5 with essentially no good wins, Dana Altman is taking the typical slow start to another level. As always, Altman hit the transfer market hard and has a handful of newcomers this season.  In my Preseason Top 25 I actually ranked Oregon #17 and Baylor #21.  Both teams have moved in opposite directions since then, but I do believe these two teams' potential are much closer to eachother than their records and results have shown so far.

Oregon has the talent and size, but hasn’t been able to put it together yet this season. What better time than when the number one team visits your (hideous) home court. The Ducks used a midweek tune-up vs Portland to gain a little confidence and try to get back on track before the weekend. Now they’re getting 3 possessions at home in the absolute best opportunity they’ll get to right the ship, and that sounds good to me. 

 

Best Bet: Oregon +8 -110 vs Baylor 

Odds via Barstool Sportsbook

 

Let me know what you think!  @Dom_MSU on Twitter