This article is part of our College Basketball Picks series.
With a limited college hoops slate before a holiday pause, here are my best bets for a couple of lopsided matchups on Saturday.
Vanderbilt at 
Memphis
Vanderbilt is in rough shape. The Commodores have lost six of their last seven games, with their only win coming against a 1-11 Alabama A&M. Sometimes when a team has a losing record, the lack of victories can be excused with a difficult schedule, but that's not the case here. Vanderbilt has played an easy collection of opponents ranking 287th in difficulty according to KenPom, and fell flat in the more challenging matchups as they fell by double digits to Boston College, San Francisco, and Texas Tech.
Memphis, meanwhile, is in the opposite boat. The Tigers have played one of the toughest schedules in the country ranking 12th in difficulty and have won nine of 11 with victories over the likes of Michigan, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Clemson, and Virginia. If Selection Sunday were held this weekend, Memphis would have a strong argument for a high seed.
When comparing these teams side-by-side, it's hard to imagine Vanderbilt scoring many points. The Commodores are not great at shooting as they rank 306th in effective field goal percentage while making under 29 percent from behind the arc, and will be going up against a defense that sits 21st in adjusted efficiency while holding opponents to a low effective field goal percentage with the 81st-lowest in the nation.
Memphis also carries a gigantic advantage going in the other direction, ranking 35th in offensive efficiency while Vanderbilt is 262nd on D. The potential saving grace for the Commodores is their interior defense, which is noticeably better than on the perimeter. Vanderbilt is holding opponents to 47 percent on two-point shots - the 80th-lowest percentage allowed - so it has a chance to stay in the game if Memphis has trouble knocking down long-range attempts.
Based on the strengths and weaknesses of each team, I'm betting we'll have a low-scoring affair. Vanderbilt has produced under 63 points in each of its last five losses and only mustered 62 in the opener against Presbyterian, a team that ranks 294th in defensive efficiency. This will also be Vanderbilt's first true road game this season, which surely won't help its cause. I'm taking the under here.
The spread is big, but I'm betting Memphis will do enough to cover based on how they've fared against lesser opponents. The Tigers have only played two teams ranked outside of KenPom's top 100 overall efficiency chart and crushed both by 17 points. Vanderbilt isn't much better than either of those opponents, so Memphis has a good chance of covering the number assuming it plays up to its usual level. I'm also laying the points with the Tigers.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 150.5 and Memphis -16.5
Villanova at 
DePaul
Aside from the stumbles against fellow Philadelphia-based teams, Villanova has looked sharp for most of the season. There's not much logic that can explain how the Wildcats lost to Penn, Saint Joseph's, and Drexel. But regardless, the Wildcats boast several quality victories over teams such as Texas Tech, North Carolina, Memphis, and Creighton, so they're still a solid squad despite coming in last place in the Big 5 Classic earlier on.
DePaul, in contrast, has fallen to a 2-8 record with its only two victories coming against South Dakota and Louisville. The Blue Demons don't list great numbers, but it's worth pointing out they've also played an incredibly tough schedule ranked 64th in difficulty. Even still, DePaul had decent opportunities for wins against Purdue-Fort Wayne and Northern Illinois and failed both times.
Based on how these teams stack up against each other - much like the first matchup above - it's also hard to picture DePaul producing many points on Saturday. The Blue Demons rank 233rd in offensive efficiency and they're going against a Wildcats' defense at 23rd in efficiency. Villanova is playing at a methodical, slowed-down pace ranking 329th in tempo that consistently leads to low numbers. In their last two outings against UCLA and Creighton, the Wildcats held each opponent to under 60 points in regulation.
And if you follow trends, Villanova has seen five of its last six games go under the betting total, including the last four. Considering this and DePaul's offensive issues, I'm betting Villanova will have its fifth straight game after Saturday. I'm taking the under.
College Basketball Best Bet: Under 135
Saturday College Basketball Best Bets:
Here's a recap of my best college basketball bets for Saturday:
- Vanderbilt at Memphis - Under 150.5
- Memphis -16.5
- Villanova at DePaul - Under 135
For up-to-date information on the latest college basketball betting odds and props from multiple sportsbooks, check out the college basketball odds page on RotoWire.
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