A team that’s defeated North Carolina, West Virginia and Iowa State, like Texas has, could cause a problem for the No. 1 ranked Sooners. But Buddy Hield and the best three-point shooting team in the country will have something to say about that.
You can bet on college basketball odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
HOW THE TEXAS LONGHORNS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
First year head coach Shaka Smart has his squad believing they can win and the Longhorns have validated his belief by playing their way into the regular season race in what is the strongest conference in the nation.
Texas won at Baylor last week, after also winning at West Virginia earlier in the season, racking up a 15-7 record against the fourth-most difficult schedule. And they’ve done it without Cameron Ridley, who’s been out since late December with a broken foot.
Others have taken over the leading man role in Ridley’s absence, most notably point guard Isaiah Taylor, who assists on more than one-third of the Longhorn’s baskets. In addition to being the assist leader, Taylor pumps in a team-high 15.4 points per game. He’ll need to be at his best against Buddy Hield and the top-ranked Sooners.
The Longhorns lead the Big 12 in effective field goal percentage defense during league games. They’ve shut off the three-point line, allowing opponents to score only 23 points there, and they’ve been sturdy inside as well. Texas needs to be strong in all areas to shut down Oklahoma’s explosive offense.
HOW THE OKLAHOMA SOONERS CAN COVER THE SPREAD
The recent run of success enjoyed by the Longhorns has caught the fancy of the college basketball world and you know coach Lon Kruger and the Sooners have noticed. Don’t expect OU to overlook the suddenly resurgent Texas clan, especially since the Horns are just a game behind in the conference standings.
The Sooners added a new wrinkle to their offense that could confound the Longhorns stingy defense. Perimeter shooting has been OU’s greatest weapon this season. The Sooners are averaging 11.3 three-pointers per game and their beyond-the-arc shooting percentage of 46.2 leads the country.
But the Sooners broke the mold against TCU last week, scoring 40 points in the paint and hitting 18 of 22 free throws. Once again Buddy Hield was the leading scorer, but he deferred many points to his teammates as six players reached double figures.
While Hield is the front-runner for National Player of the Year honors, the Sooners have balance and experience unmatched in college basketball.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Longhorns are kicking themselves now over a loss to TCU at the start of Big 12 play. That game currently separates Texas from OU and West Virginia at the top of the league standings. Smart has the Horns playing at a high level and heading into a raucous environment won’t faze them. The Horns won at Baylor last week and also have a road win at West Virginia, two gyms that aren’t a favorite of the visitor. The Horns’ stingy defense will need to be at its best against the Sooners, who score better than 84 points per game and like to push the tempo. Obviously, a lower point total increases Texas’ odds of winning. OU is more than just Hield, who leads the conference in scoring at 25.8 per game. Three other starters average between 11 and 14 points, and Hield and Jordan Woodard hit better than 51 percent of their three-pointers. Texas might slow OU down, but they won’t stop them.
Oklahoma 75, Texas 67
BookMaker 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 Sportsbook! The matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners will go down Monday, February 8, 2016 at 9 p.m. ET at the Lloyd Noble Center. The matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
