Just about every college basketball team in every league has an opponent they match up well against, and vice versa. These lopsided matchups can take shape because of size, strength, location or good old-fashioned luck. For bettors, not considering this aspect of the handicapping game can cause problems.
Some head-to-head trends in recent years uncover some extremely lopsided series. As an addition to the “Top h2h Trends” we include every week in Point Spread Weekly, here are 20 college basketball series that have been particularly one-sided of late, plus 10 series totals that are trending.
Lopsided series
Air Force vs. UNLV
Air Force 3-10 SU but 11-2 ATS since 2016
Average line: Air Force 8.3
Average score: UNLV 79.9, Air Force 76.7
Next matchup: Feb. 8 at UNLV
Interesting tidbit: This is the one series in which the trending team ATS has a horrendous outright record. Air Force has proven to be quite competitive with UNLV but often comes up short.
Arizona vs. Washington State
Arizona 17-1 SU and 15-3 ATS since 2011
Average line: Arizona -10.4
Average score: Arizona 77.1, WSU 61.6
Next matchup: Feb. 10 at WSU
Interesting tidbit: Arizona is beating the spread by more than 5.0 PPG in this one-sided series. On the road, the Wildcats are 9-0 SU and 8-1 ATS.
Austin Peay vs. SIU-Edwardsville
Austin Peay 11-0 SU and 10-1 ATS since 2016
Average Line: Austin Peay -7.7
Average score: Austin Peay 81, SIU-Edwardsville 66.4
Next matchups: Jan. 31 at Austin Peay and Feb. 24 SIU-Edwardsville
Interesting tidbit: With six SU and ATS wins in a row, all Unders by the way, the Governors are holding their conference rivals to 58.3 PPG in that span.
Belmont vs. Eastern Illinois
Belmont 9-0 SU and ATS since 2015
Average line: Belmont -11.7
Average score: Belmont 85.4, EIU 61.3
Next matchup: Jan. 24
Interesting tidbit: Eastern Illinois hasn’t topped the 66-point mark in the series since its last win seven years ago.
BYU vs. Portland
BYU 9-0 SU and ATS since 2017
Average line: BYU -15.9
Average score: BYU 86.8, Portland 59.8
Next matchup: Jan. 22 at BYU
Interesting tidbit: BYU has won by at least 19 points in eight of the last nine meetings. In two games last season, BYU outscored the Pilots 200-127.
Colorado State vs. San Jose State
Colorado State 10-0 SU and 9-1 ATS since 2016
Average line: Colorado State -10
Average score: Colorado State 81.4, San Jose State 66.4
Next matchup: Jan. 15 at San Jose State
Interesting tidbit: Colorado State is nearly as impressive against Air Force, but this matchup made the list after CSU’s ATS loss to the Falcons last week.
Creighton vs. DePaul
Creighton 14-0 SU and 12-2 ATS since 2015
Average line: Creighton -7.3
Average score: Creighton 82.7, DePaul 65.6
Next matchups: Jan. 22 at Creighton, Feb. 17 at DePaul
Interesting tidbit: Creighton’s 14-game win streak includes two upset victories and six others with single-digit point spreads.
Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s (Calif.)
Gonzaga 20-4 SU and 19-5 ATS since 2013
Average line: Gonzaga -7.8
Average score: Gonzaga 74.7, Saint Mary’s 59.8
Next matchups: Feb. 12 at Gonzaga, Feb. 26 at Saint Mary’s
Interesting tidbit: Gonzaga has proved itself to be the premier program in the West Coast Conference with its head-to-head performance against Saint Mary’s. The Zags have won six straight outright in the series.
Louisiana at Monroe vs. Troy
Monroe 8-2 SU and 9-0-1 ATS since 2015
Average line: Monroe -0.5
Average score: Monroe 71.5, Troy 65.4
Next matchup: Jan. 20 at Monroe
Interesting tidbit: As a favorite of fewer than seven points, Monroe has a perfect 6-0 SU and ATS record. This has proven to be a tight series in which Monroe makes the decisive plays.
Mercer vs. Samford
Mercer 13-1 SU and 12-1-1 ATS since 2016
Average line: Mercer -3.2
Average score: Mercer 82.4, Samford 69.1
Next matchup: Jan. 26 at Samford
Interesting tidbit: Last week, Samford (-4) edged Mercer 83-80 to end Mercer’s 13-game series winning streak.
Michigan vs. Purdue
Michigan 7-2 SU and 9-0 ATS since 2017
Average line: Michigan 0.1
Average score: Michigan 76.6, Purdue 68.8
Next matchup: Feb. 5 at Purdue
Interesting tidbit: Michigan-Purdue was postponed Tuesday. Hopefully we can ride the Wolverines next time in an unusually lopsided series considering the strength of both programs.
Mississippi State vs. Missouri
Mississippi State 9-1 SU and 10-0 ATS since 2015
Average line: Mississippi State -2.4
Average score: Mississippi State 73.8, Missouri 62.4
Next matchup: Feb. 19 at Mississippi State
Interesting tidbit: The Bulldogs have outperformed oddsmakers expectations by 9.0 PPG since 2015.
Oregon vs. Utah
Oregon 15-1 SU and 13-2-1 ATS since 2015
Average line: Oregon -3.2
Average score: Oregon 73.2, Utah 63.7
Next matchup: Feb. 5 at Utah
Interesting tidbit: The Ducks are 8-0 SU and 7-0-1 ATS in road/neutral games of this set.
Purdue vs. Indiana
Purdue 12-1 SU and 10-2-1 ATS since 2014
Average line: Purdue -3
Average score: Purdue 71.6, Indiana 62.8
Next matchups: Jan. 20 at Indiana, March 5 at Purdue
Interesting tidbit: Purdue has had its way with in-state rival Indiana and will be looking for a 10th straight series win next week in Bloomington.
St. Bonaventure vs. George Mason
St. Bonaventure 10-1 SU and ATS since 2014
Average line: St. Bonaventure -4.4
Average score: St. Bonaventure 74.8, George Mason 62.6
Next matchup: Jan. 26 at George Mason
Interesting tidbit: The Bonnies defense has made the difference, holding George Mason to just 62.6 PPG.
Saint Mary’s (Calif.) vs. Loyola Marymount
Saint Mary’s 16-0 SU and 12-3-1 ATS since 2014
Average line: Saint Mary’s -10.9
Average score: Saint Mary’s 71.8, Loyola Marymount 56.5
Next matchups: Jan. 22 at LMU, Feb. 5 at Saint Mary’s
Interesting tidbit: The Lions, who host the Gaels next Saturday, will have to do better than the 56.5 PPG they’ve averaged in this set to score an upset.
UC-Irvine vs. UC-Riverside
Irvine 20-2 SU and 18-4 ATS since 2014
Average line: Irvine -8.4
Average score: Irvine 70.6, Riverside 57.6
Next matchup: Feb. 10 at Irvine
Interesting tidbit: Riverside has struggled to score in this series. Both of its wins were when it hit the 70-point mark.
Utah State vs. San Jose State
Utah State 19-1 SU and 16-4 ATS since 2012
Average line: Utah State -13.1
Average score: Utah State 80.4, San Jose State 60.8
Next matchup: March 4 at San Jose
Interesting tidbit: You saw San Jose State’s struggles against Colorado State earlier. The Spartans’ results are even worse against Utah State, with a losing margin of almost 20 PPG in the last 20 meetings. In the last three meetings, Utah State’s margin of victory is a whopping 38.7 PPG.
Villanova vs. Xavier
Villanova 15-2 SU and 14-3 ATS since 2014
Average line: Villanova -5.6
Average score: Villanova 77.6, Xavier 65.5
Next matchup: Jan. 12 at Xavier
Interesting tidbit: Amazingly, the betting line in all 17 games was 10 points or fewer. Villanova just seems to find a way against Xavier. These teams meet Wednesday night for the second time this season (Villanova won 71-58 in December).
Yale vs. Cornell
Yale 13-0 SU and 11-2 ATS since 2014
Average line: Yale -9.5
Average score: Yale 81.3, Cornell 67.4
Next matchups: Jan. 15 at Yale, Feb. 26 at Cornell
Interesting tidbit: The Bulldogs enjoy some of their best offensive performances against Cornell, averaging 84.8 PPG in the last 10 meetings.
Lopsided totals
Over in Murray State-SE Missouri State
Over is 9-0 since 2018
Average total: 143.3
Average score: Murray State 89.3, SEMO 70.3
Next matchup: Feb. 26 at SEMO
Over in South Dakota-Oral Roberts
Over is 16-0 since 2011
Average total: 147.8
Average score: Oral Roberts 80.3, South Dakota 80
Next matchup: Feb. 26 at ORU
Over in Marshall-Charlotte
Over is 12-1 since 2014
Average total: 157
Average score: Marshall 84.9, Charlotte 80.5
Next matchups: Feb. 5 at Charlotte, Feb. 19 at Marshall
Over in Nebraska Omaha-Denver
Over is 11-1 since 2016
Average total: 150.8
Average score: Nebraska Omaha 82.1, Denver 80.3
Next matchups: Jan. 22 at Denver, Feb. 17 at Omaha
Over in Kent State-Central Michigan
Over is 10-1 since 2016
Average total: 154.1
Average score: Kent State 84, Central Michigan 83.9
Next matchup: Feb. 26 at CMU
Under in St. Bonaventure-Saint Louis
Under is 9-0 since 2017
Average total: 132.4
Average score: St. Bonaventure 64.7, Saint Louis 58.4
Next matchup: Feb. 11 at Saint Louis
Under in Saint Peter’s-Fairfield
Under is 10-0 since 2016
Average total: 128
Average score: Saint Peter’s 59.4, Fairfield 56.1
Next matchups: Feb. 18 at Fairfield, March 5 at Saint Peter’s
Under in Tennessee-Alabama
Under is 9-0 since 2015
Average total: 141.7
Average score: Tennessee 60.3, Alabama 67.1
Next matchup: Possibly SEC Tournament
Under in The Citadel-Mercer
Under is 12-0 since 2016
Average total: 164.3
Average score: The Citadel 68.3, Mercer 78.1
Next matchups: Jan. 17 at The Citadel, Feb. 23 at Mercer
Under in Xavier-Creighton
Under is 9-0 since 2017
Average total: 150.5
Average score: Xavier 68.6, Creighton 70.3
Next matchups: Jan. 15 at Xavier, Jan. 29 at Creighton