The Baylor Bears are one of the few teams in the nation to escape the non-conference slate undefeated, and have ascended to the No. 4 national ranking because of that success. They hope to find similar outcomes in Big 12 play, and it will start with a road game against the struggling Oklahoma Sooners.
The Bears are clearly the better team and even though they are on the road, should be sizable favorites. Baylor will have to outlast teams like Kansas and West Virginia to capture the conference title, and can’t afford to let winnable games like this one slip.
Baylor has done a great job of knocking off every opponent thus far and will be favored to come away with another victory.
At 7 p.m. ET, tune into ESPN2 for live television coverage of this NCAA basketball game on Friday, December 30, 2016, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Friday schedule.
Odds at BookMaker.eu
Baylor is 12-0 straight up, the lone unblemished team in the conference. The Bears have had a spread featured in nine of their games and covered in six of them. Baylor is 5-3 against the spread as the favorite this season but has yet to play a true road game, which could be a factor.
Oklahoma is 6-5 straight up and 4-5 against the spread. The Sooners have played in three home games and have covered one of them. Oklahoma is 2-1 against the spread as the underdog and will be getting points again in this one.
Key Stat
Three. That’s where Oklahoma’s losing streak stands after it had a decent start to the year. The Sooners have fallen to Wichita State, Memphis and Auburn in consecutive games and each by five points or fewer.
The Sooners would love to get back on track but will have trouble doing so in this one. The Sooners need a big game from leading scorer Jordan Woodard in order to snap the losing streak. Woodard is averaging 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game on the year.
Oklahoma is in grave danger of missing the NCAA tournament if it can pick it up, but a home win over one of the best teams in the country would be a huge boost.
Player To Watch
Johnathan Motley -- Baylor’s best player is its junior power forward. Motley is averaging 16.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game. The Bears have a variety of scorers but Motley leads the way and he is shooting 51.2 percent from the field.
Motley scored 17 points and pulled down 11 rebounds last time out against Texas Southern and Oklahoma’s defense can be suspect at time, which could allow him to have a big game. Other top players for Baylor include Al Freeman, Manu Lecomte and Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr., who each score in double figures on a consistent basis.
Free College Basketball ATS Picks
Baylor knocked off four ranked teams in the non-conference season, really proving its mettle against some elite competition. The Bears have some big games coming up but are currently in the running for one of the top seeds in March Madness.
The Big 12 schedule will test them, but this one shouldn’t be too bad. Oklahoma has shown the ability to hang tough against its competition but the Bears are just too talented. Baylor should be able to come in and take care of business on the road, but keep an eye on the spread as the Sooners’ home court advantage and getting some points could be enough for them to cover in this matchup.
College Basketball Odds: Baylor 85, Oklahoma 78
BookMaker.eu offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker.eu!
