Oregon State's offense poised to pull away from East Texas A&M

Versus projects Oregon State to win this non-conference meeting 86-69, an 17-point margin that gives the Beavers an 86 percent chance of coming out on top. That kind of gap reflects more than record alone, since both teams arrive unbeaten or nearly so.

Oregon State sits at 4-0, which Versus says is the best record in college basketball, and that start is the program's best through four games in records dating to 2007. The Beavers have also climbed 32 places since the preseason, up to No. 90 in Division I. East Texas A&M counters with its own surge, a 3-1 record that is its best through four games since 2010, and a jump of 145 places since the preseason that has carried the Lions to No. 168. Earlier this season they climbed as high as No. 161, the highest Versus has ever placed the program.

The matchup still favors Oregon State in the numbers that matter most here. The Beavers carry an A- offense ranked 63rd in Division I, while East Texas A&M's defense ranks 223rd. Oregon State's overall grade of B+ outpaces East Texas A&M's B-, and the Beavers grade out as A- in power rating against the Lions' C.