Two of college basketball’s highest scoring teams clash at the Barclays Center on Sunday, as the Colorado Buffaloes battle the Miami Hurricanes — part of the NABC Brooklyn Showcase.
The 15th-ranked ‘Canes are slight one-point underdogs in the college basketball odds despite coming off a demolition of the Long Island University Sharks. Colorado bounced back from a loss to Colorado State with a thrashing of the Pepperdine Waves when last seen
What wager should you be targeting? Check below for my free college basketball picks and best bet for Miami vs. Colorado on Sunday, December 10.
Colorado vs Miami best odds
Colorado vs Miami picks and predictions
These two teams are very evenly matched. The Buffs and ‘Canes both sit inside the Top 35 in scoring, with Colorado putting up 83.8 points per game (34th), and Miami dropping 84.6 (27th). They’re not one-dimensional, either, as both limit the opposition to under 70 points per contest. Miami allows 69.5 points per game, just a tick better than Colorado at 69.6.
Since losing 95-73 to Kentucky — the lone ranked team on their schedule so far — the Hurricanes have tightened the screws on the defensive end. Miami has held both Notre Dame and Long Island University to 49 points in easy wins.
Four of five starters scored in double figures against the Sharks, with big man Norchad Omier going for 17 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Wooga Poplar added 14 points, five assists and four rebounds.
The ‘Canes rank 21st in KenPom’s offensive efficiency metric, and are inside the Top 100 in defensive efficiency. They held LIU to a dismal 30.6% shooting mark from the field, including a 3-for-23 mark from distance.
Colorado actually ranks higher than Miami on KenPom, and are inside the Top 40 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They toppled Pepperdine 91-66 last time out, the third time they’ve scored better than 90 points in a game this season.
Tristan da Silva — one of two preseason Pac-12 first team selections — finished with 22 points on a perfect 5-for-5 from the field, 2-for-2 from 3-point range, and 10-for-10 from the stripe. He also added five boards.
Their other preseason Pac-12 first-teamer, guard KJ Simpson, had 15 points, three rebounds and four dimes.
Miami, a Final Four participant last season, has really taken care of business against unranked opposition, winning nine straight games. The Buffs have come up short vs. the two legit opponents they've faced this year, losing to both Florida State and Colorado State. I expect much of the same result with Miami.
My best bet: Miami +1 (-110 at DraftKings)
Colorado vs Miami same-game parlay
Miami +1
Over 154.5
We’re taking Miami to cover, and we’ll build a same-game parlay on the strength of the offense both teams show.
Miami is a stat-geeks offensive dream, shooting 51.3% from the field — the 10th-best mark in the NCAA — backed by an incredible 42.5% clip from distance, currently the second-best rate in the nation.
Colorado is good but not at those pressure points, ranking 124th in field-goal defense (41.5%) and 244th in 3-point shooting defense, with teams hitting 33.7% of their triples.
The Buffs are sharpshooters as well, hitting 41.8% from beyond the arc — the fourth-best rate in college hoops — while posting a 51.6% rate from the field, which ranks eighth.
Miami is a Top-10 unit defending the 3-ball so far, allowing just a 25.7% success rate. They're 87th in field-goal defense, allowing teams to shoot 40.7%.
Both teams are in the top half of KenPom’s tempo metric, and while they are both limiting teams to under 70 points overall, that doesn’t mean either school hasn’t taken their defensive lumps. Miami has surrendered at least 80 points three times, while Colorado has allowed 77 or more three times.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Colorado vs Miami spread and Over/Under analysis
Perhaps a bit of a head-scratcher, as the Buffs opened as the betting favorite at -1, with the books only willing to climb a half-point more.
Colorado is 4-3-0 against the spread as a favorite this season, and just 4-4-0 ATS overall. Their win over Pepperdine was the first time in five games they have covered the spread.
Miami is just 0-1-0 ATS as an underdog, and 5-3-0 ATS on the season overall. They covered their largest spread of the year against LIU, a whopping 30.5-point line. They had failed to cover in their two prior games, as 14.5-point favorites over Notre Dame and 6.5-point favorites over Kentucky.
The total started at 153 points, but has moved and settled mostly at the 154.5 line. Miami has gone Under in their last two games, but the Over is still 5-3-0 in their games this season.
Colorado has seen the Over hit in their last three contests, improving their Over mark to 5-3-0 on the year.
Colorado vs Miami betting trend to know
Miami has hit the moneyline in 25 of their last 33 games (+11.35 Units / 6% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Colorado vs. Miami.
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Colorado vs Miami game info
| Location: | Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY |
| Date: | Sunday, December 10, 2023 |
| Tip-off: | 2:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN2 |
Colorado vs Miami key injuries
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