Big 12 Tournament: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys Betting Preview
The Big 12 Tournament continues Wednesday with an intrastate rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners (15-16, 5-13) and the Oklahoma State Cowboys (17-14, 8-10). This game will be played at the T-Mobile Center, with tipoff scheduled for 9:30 pm ET.
Oklahoma State is the slight favorite in this one. They are -125 to win, while the Sooners’ moneyline sits at +104.
The spread features Oklahoma as 1.5-point underdogs, and the over/under for total points is set at 135.5.
Is Third Time A Charm For Sooners?
These two teams have squared off twice already this season, and neither time ended well for the Sooners. They lost 72-56 on the road back on January 18, and followed that up with a 71-61 home loss on February 1. Now, they hope that the third time’s the charm as they face their conference rivals.
Despite finishing last in the Big 12, the Sooners come into this one off of a 74-60 upset win over No. 22 TCU. They have also beaten the likes of No. 12 Kansas State, No. 4 Alabama, and lost by just two against No. 7 Texas.
Oklahoma ranks just 238th in the nation in scoring, averaging 68.3 points per game. They are led by senior guard Grant Sherfield, who is averaging 16.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
On the defensive side, the Sooners rank better. They come in 101st in the nation in scoring defense, allowing opponents an average of 67.9 points per game.
Cowboys Look To Get On A Roll As They Face Familiar Opponent
At 17-14, it has been a mediocre season for head coach Mike Boynton and the Cowboys. They come into this one ranked seventh in the conference and will have to get on quite a roll to extend their season much further.
The Cowboys have had the Sooners’ number to this point, but they also know Oklahoma will be out for revenge in this one.
Like the Sooners, the Cowboys struggle a bit on the offensive side. They rank just 213 overall, averaging 69.5 points per game.
The team has four players averaging double digits in B Thompson (11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists), K Boone (11.5 points, 5.1 rebounds), A Anderson III (11.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists), and J Wright (10 points, 2.8 rebounds). Unfortunately, Anderson remains out with a wrist injury.
Defensively, Oklahoma State ranks 72nd in the country. They are allowing opponents just 66.8 points per contest.
Take Sooners To Win As Underdogs
Oklahoma comes into this one just 4-10 in their last 14 games, although they are 4-2 against the spread in their last six. In their last seven games against the Cowboys, they are just 1-6 both straight up and against the spread.
As for the Cowboys, they have also struggled a bit as of late. They are just 1-5 both straight up and against the spread in their last six games. They are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games played in March, however.
While the Cowboys won twice over the Sooners this season, this will be the first time that they will have to try to do so without Avery Anderson, their second-leading scorer. That will be a huge blow for a Cowboys’ team that is not exactly elite in the scoring department.
In fact, the Cowboys have struggled to adjust to Anderson’s injury as the season has wound down, and they come in limping in this one, having lost five of their last six.
In what should be a tight game, don’t be surprised if Oklahoma gets some revenge and wins this one straight up. Take the Sooners on the moneyline (+104).
