Sunday’s College Basketball Betting Preview: Connecticut-Memphis, Stanford-Oregon

After consuming a massive 147-game slate on Saturday, college basketball fans may be inclined to take a day off from wagering.

That would be a mistake.

Sunday's light 17-game slate still provides sneaky value for the savvy college hoops bettor.

Today we preview Connecticut at Memphis and Stanford visiting Oregon.

Betting Odds: Connecticut Huskies at Memphis Tigers

• Spread: Memphis -6.5
• Over/Under: 158
• Time: 2 p.m. ET
• TV: CBSSN

Connecticut (13-10) is 4-6 in the AAC and has lost its last eight games away from Storrs. Within the conference, the Huskies are 0-5 on the road. They are just 9-10 overall against-the-spread (ATS), including 2-6 on the road.

Memphis (13-10) has been especially tough at home with wins over Wichita State, SMU and UCF. The Tigers are 11-2 straight-up and 9-5-1 ATS at home.

Connecticut has the fourth-best offense in AAC play but is a very different team on the road. In their four conference wins, the Huskies are shooting 50.4% (115-of-228) from the field. Compare that to just 41% (125-of-302) in their five conference losses.

In addition, Connecticut will be without its leading scorer, Jalen Adams (17.1 PPG), who sprained his knee in Wednesday's loss at Temple. Adams is shooting 37% from the 3-point line and is the team's best free throw shooter at 84.7%.

Memphis ranks second within the AAC in 2P% and is 30th in the country in offensive rebounding rate. The Tigers have been on fire from 3-point range, connecting for an average of 11 per game over their last two games. Senior guard Jeremiah Martin (16.7 PPG) has made a blistering 62.4% (15-of-24) from beyond the arc during that time.

The Tigers also create more opportunities to score through their pressure defense. Memphis ranks seventh in the country with an average of 18 turnovers forced per game. Without Adams, Connecticut will struggle against their defensive pressure.

Connecticut has been a Jekyll-and-Hyde team all season, and that's with Jalen Adams. Memphis has lost three tough games in a row and will be desperate for a win against the shorthanded Huskies. Take the hot-shooting Tigers to grab a comfortable double-digit win against undermanned Connecticut.

THE PICK: Memphis -6.5

Betting Odds: Stanford Cardinal at Oregon Ducks

• Spread: Oregon -6.5
• Over/Under: 135.5
• Time: 8 p.m. ET
• TV: ESPN2

Stanford (12-10) is on a three-game winning streak. The Cardinal have won four of their last five Pac-12 games, including three straight on the road. They're 9-10-2 ATS this season overall but have covered two of their last three road games.

Oregon (14-9) is 5-5 in the Pac-12 and just 3-2 in its last five conference home games. The Ducks are just 11-10 ATS, including a mediocre 8-5 at home.

Stanford has become very efficient on offense. The Cardinal are first in 2P% and third in effective FG percentage within conference play.

Over the last three games, sophomore forward Oscar da Silva (10.1 PPG, 5.7 RPG) has averaged 17 points while shooting 68.9% (20-of-29) from the field. Fellow sophomore forward KZ Okpala had 30 points and 10 rebounds in an 84-81 win at California.

Defensively, Stanford has been solid all season. The Cardinal rank 68th in the country defending 2-pointers and 61st overall in eFG% allowed.

Oregon has struggled to find consistency. The Ducks rank 10th overall in adjusted offensive efficiency within Pac-12 games. They're ninth in 3P% and 2P% within the conference.

Defensively, they have been strong defending 3-pointers, allowing conference opponents to shoot only 32.3% from beyond the arc. That said, they have allowed opponents to shoot 57.9% from 2-point range, which ranks 10th in the conference. That's bad news, as Stanford scores a high 52.3% of its points inside the arc.

Stanford is playing well and has a strong chance to win this game. The inside duo of da Silva and Okpala will easily score on the poor interior defense of Oregon. Take the efficient play of Stanford over the inconsistency of Oregon, even in Eugene.

THE PICK: Stanford +6.5