Wake up with VSiN Daily Morning Bets, a quick 15-minute podcast posted at 7 a.m. ET highlighting the top games and biggest line moves of the day. For a full breakdown of Thursday’s betting action be sure to catch the VSiN Market Insights Podcast at 3 p.m. ET.
You can always track the latest odds and betting percentages for every game using our VSiN Betting Splits.
In the meantime, let’s examine where smart money is leaning for Thursday’s College Basketball slate.
6:07 p.m. ET: Albany at Binghamton (-3, 155)
Albany (11-12) has lost five of their last six games and just fell to UMBC 114-102. Meanwhile, Binghamton (10-11) just saw their two-game winning streak come to an end, falling to Vermont 62-49. This line opened with Binghamton listed as low as a 1-point home favorite. We’ve seen Binghamton shoot up to -3, signaling pro money in their favor. This line move is especially notable because this is a tiny added/extra game (306527-306528). The public has no interest in these small school matchups and can’t even find the games on their app (they are located in an extra tab that is hard to locate). So we know that if the line is moving toward Binghamton, it was the result of sharp money who has targeted the game and sided with the home team. Sharps are focused on Binghamton to win the game on the moneyline at -150, as Binghamton is receiving 58% of moneyline bets but 83% of moneyline dollars, a sharp “low bets, higher dollars” bet discrepancy. Ken Pom has Binghamton winning by one point (79-78). Binghamton has the better defense (allowing 72 PPG vs 79 PPG), better field goal percentage (46% vs 45%) and better rebounding (38 RPG vs 37 RPG). Binghamton is 7-2 at home. Albany is 4-8 on the road.
8 p.m. ET: Tarleton State at Utah Valley (-3, 137.5)
Tarleton State (15-7) has won three straight games and just took down Stephen Austin 75-64. Conversely, Utah Valley (9-13) has dropped three straight games and just fell to Grand Canyon 86-67. This line opened with Utah Valley listed as a 2.5-point home favorite. Right off the bat, this opening line speaks volumes. if Tarleton State has the better record and is riding a winning streak, then why are they a dog catching points? If it looks too good to be true, typically it is. Pros have embraced the fishy home favorite, driving Utah Valley up from -2.5 to -3. Some shops are even inching toward -3.5. Utah Valley is only receiving 55% of bets but 81% of dollars, signaling relatively undecided public but also heavy sharp action from respected bettors. Utah Valley will lean on their defense, ranking 102nd in defensive efficiency compared to 174th for Tarleton State. Ken Pom has Utah Valley winning by two points (68-66). Those looking to protect themselves from a tight win that may not cover the number could instead target Utah Valley on the moneyline at -155. Utah Valley is 7-2 at home. Tarleton State is 5-5 on the road. Home favorites are 24-8 (75%) straight up in WAC conference play.
