Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/11/22)

Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech Odds, Picks, and Predictions (3/11/22)

The Big 12 Tournament saw their biggest upset last night as the #7 seed Oklahoma took down the #2 seed Baylor in an unpredictable game. Meanwhile, the #3 Texas Tech Red Raiders plowed through the #6 seed Iowa State with a 31 point margin. As the Oklahoma Sooners are on a high from their upset win, they need to realign their focus to prepare for the ruthless Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Raiders have a feared lineup with unmatched aggression in this Big 12 Conference and have the odds to win the whole thing. This matchup takes place this Thursday, March 11th, at 8:30 PM CST and can be viewed on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech Betting Odds

The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the starting favorite for this matchup. Both teams have one victory in the regular season, splitting their series 1-1. This matchup will be the final showdown to prove authority. The Sooners need to pull off this upset if they want to help their chances get into the March Madness Tournament since Texas Tech has already solidified their spot. The spread is placed in favor of the Raiders with a -7 (-110) margin, leaving the Sooners with +7 (-110). In the two times these teams have played this season, the margins have been 15 points (Sooners win) and 24 (Raiders win). This matchup will likely fall into the Raiders’ moneyline (-335), but the spread is more negotiable. The Big 12 Tournaments has been having more upsets than expected, and this game can also fall into that pattern. If the Sooners can play similarly to how they did against Baylor but lower the turnover rate, they can cover the spread. However, the Raiders’ defense is even more pressuring than the Bears’, so turnover rates may skyrocket. In the end, I’m leaning on the Texas Tech moneyline but giving the Sooners the benefit of the doubt to cover the spread.

My Prediction: Raiders Win 78-72, Sooners Cover

Oklahoma Sooners Odds

Last night, the Oklahoma Sooners pulled off the upset nobody thought was possible. They took down the #2 seed and #3 nationally Baylor Bears in a 72-67 victory. The Sooners absolutely controlled the perimeter, having a season-high of 52.4% accuracy from beyond the three-point line. They were also able to secure the perimeter defensively, keeping the Bears at 13.6% from beyond the three-point line. The Sooners were able to pull off this victory even after giving up 16 turnovers. The turnovers have been an epidemic for this team, and they have failed to stop easy turnovers that end up losing them games. At halftime, head coach Porter Moser even said, “Stop passing the ball to the people in the white jerseys,” since the team could not help but pass to the wrong team. There will be no room for errors going into the semifinals against Texas Tech. It is crucial for the Sooners to clean up their offense, so they do not fall victim to the Raiders once again.

Junior forward Jacob Groves stepped up for his team last night. The brother to the senior forward, Tanner Groves, Jacob is usually the passive player on the team. However, he has proven himself to be a much-needed asset to the Sooners’ offense. Against Baylor, Jacob Groves led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds. He shot 71.4% from the field and 60% from beyond the three. He was not alone in shooting ability, with great versatility shown from this Sooners offense. There were five players that scored over 10 points, which is very unlike this team. Jalen Hill has been a phenomenal asset to this team, averaging 8.9 points a game but shooting 58.8% from the field. This accuracy is not commonly held in college basketball. The Sooners will need to keep the same plan they had against the Bears and focus on versatility to keep from being predictable, and they might just keep this game close.

Texs Tech Red Raiders Odds

The one team that I do not see falling to an upset would be the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This team has been nearly unstoppable all season, and they showed their full abilities last night. They destroyed the Iowa State Cyclones and walked away with a victory of over 30 points. Their defense was unmatched and was able to keep the Cyclones at bay with only 41 points. They were able to force 20 turnovers and hold their opponent to 31.3% from the field. This biggest feat was holding the star Izaiah Brockington to only seven points throughout the entire game. Brockington usually averages 17.2 points per game and shoots 46% from the field. However, the Raiders were able to push him down to 18.8% from the field. If the Raiders can have the same defensive pressure on the Sooners Umoja Gibson, Jalen Hill, and Tanner Groves, this game can be an easy sweep for the Raiders.

On the offensive side, four main players average over 10 points, leading this offense to be nearly unstoppable. The combinations between Bryson Williams, Terrence Shannon Jr, Davion Warren, and Kevin McCullar are magical. All players have a connection that allows them to move freely on the court and find an open teammate with ease. Williams is the leader of the offense averaging 13.8 points per game, and shoots 54% from the field. The beauty about this offense is that they have so much versatility. Many teams in the Big 12 are heavily reliant on one or two players to score their points, but the Raiders are stacked with a cluster of sharpshooters. The key to advancing onto the Big 12 Championship is to keep the ball moving and apply heavy pressure on the Sooners’ offense. If the Raiders can play like they’re expected, this should be an easy win.

Oklahoma vs. Texas Tech Picks and Predictions

One of the easiest bets for this game would be to take Texas Tech leading at halftime. Oklahoma rarely ever had the lead going into the half against top teams. Against Baylor, they were losing by six at the half but were able to come back and secure the win. I would definitely take advantage of the -3.5 (-120) halftime spread in favor of the Raiders. The over/under has been set at 125 (-110), which can be easily obtained if these teams play their average games. This is tournament play, so both teams are putting their hearts on the court, so the over should definitely hit in this game.