CBB Insider: Don't be fooled by Spartans' slow start

Each week I'll be spotlighting three teams to give you an edge on the books.

UNDERVALUED: MICHIGAN STATE

I was shocked this week to see Michigan State -- the sixth biggest favorite to win the championship entering the season -- priced at 50/1 now to win it all because the Spartans dropped four games early this season.

Those four losses? Arizona, Kentucky, Baylor, and Duke. Suffering four losses to Top-20 schools apparently isn’t fixable, even for Tom Izzo. Maybe Izzo isn’t coaching in East Lansing anymore? To be completely honest, offering any Izzo-coached team at 50/1 at any point in the season is pretty nuts (go bet this by the way).

It isn't like this Spartans' team is 0-9 ATS and books are going to start shading lines their way, expecting a series of covers in the near future. MSU is 4-5 ATS despite the "down" start to its season.

I expect to find value in the Spartans' upcoming games, especially now that stud freshman Miles Bridges was announced week-to-week with an ankle injury and we may see even more overreaction.

OVERVALUED: UCLA 

Some readers may be confused to see UCLA as my overvalued team, especially if you heard me talk about value on UCLA at 50/1 two weeks ago before the Bruins battled Kentucky. But with the Bruins now 10-0 and ranked No. 2, we can find some spots to play against UCLA.

The style UCLA plays is very Golden State Warriors-esque. It has obviously been effective, and it has been refreshing to see in the college game as well. It's also something casual fans and bettors take notice of.

Not only are the Bruins the darlings of college basketball, but their appealing style will draw bettors to lay whatever number they need to have action on the team in Los Angeles. This is when we can take advantage of inflated numbers, so be on the lookout for UCLA's seven-game win streak and 8-2 ATS record to to come crashing down.

TEAM TO WATCH: RHODE ISLAND

I actually took a piece of URI at 500/1 early in the season to win the championship. The Rams are a very talented team that returned four starters from a squad that went under the radar last year with a seventh-place finish in the Atlantic 10.

They have also been a team early this season that was bet on regularly by sharp guys moving the market (the Duke, Valparaiso, and Providence games come to mind). Despite failing to cover in those instances, respecting the actual move versus the result of a small sample is important.

The reason I have URI as my team to watch is because leading scorer, rebounder, and shot blocker Hassan Martin was injured a week ago and has missed the last two games.

Keep an eye on his status and health. When he comes back, the Rams are going to be a force, and it wouldn't surprise me if we see sharp guys hammer away at their early numbers again.