Oregon Puts Unbeaten Conference Record On the Line Today

The Oregon Ducks have been one of the big surprises in college basketball this season, but they’ll face another tough road challenge against the Stanford Cardinal today. The Ducks have jumped out of the gate and are striding to the finish line with an 18-2 record and perfect 7-0 mark in the Pac-12; their best start in conference play since the 1925-26 season when they went 10-0.

Also out West, the Lobos of New Mexico aim to keep their spot in the polls, as they take on an underrated Wyoming Cowboys squad that enters today’s game with a record of 15-4. We’ll highlight these two NCAA West battles today and give you the winning point spread picks.

#10 Oregon Ducks +3 at Stanford Cardinal -2.5

Oregon coach Dana Altman has had all his Ducks in a row and playing exceptionally well all season, but one thing they haven’t done much up to this point is go on the road and they’ll make the trip to Palo Alto today. It’s a trip that Oregon hasn’t had many good memories on historically, but the Ducks were able to win there last year, snapping a losing skid of 24 in a row.

This year’s team should fare even better, coming in on a nine game winning streak against a Cardinal team that hasn’t been one of the finest in the program’s prestigious history. Although, you can always expect Stanford to play tough on its home floor. They are 8-2 at home so far this year.

Both teams allow around 64 points per game, but the offensive side of the court is where the Ducks should have the distinct edge, scoring 76.2 points per game compared to Stanford’s 69.5.

Considering the Ducks  already defeated much stiffer competition in the conference this season, I like the them to pull out a win, but expect Stanford to battle hard at home and push Oregon to the edge, a place where the Ducks have lived much of the season, winning by an average of just five points per game, but I think they’ll squeak this one out as well and cover +3 in the win.

#20 New Mexico Lobos -1 at Wyoming Cowboys +1

The Lobos have posted a fine 17-3 so far this season, but they are coming off a historically horrendous loss that they can only hope doesn’t carry over to their road border war with Wyoming today.

New Mexico was embarrassed at San Diego State on Saturday, losing to the Aztecs 55-34. It was their lowest point total since a 1976 game against Utah, in which they scored 32. They’ll definitely need to muster a better offensive effort against a Cowboys team that has exceeded expectations with a 15-4 mark and a 10-2 home record so far this season.

This match-up does not seem to bode too well for the Lobos. I’m sure they will bounce back with a better performance, but they are up against one of the best defenses in the country in Wyoming, a team that only allows 54.4 points per game. With home court and a strong defense, I like Wyoming to cover +1 points today and earn the win