Texas vs. Oklahoma Odds, Picks, and Predictions (02/15/22)

 Texas vs. Oklahoma Odds, Picks, and Predictions (02/15/22)

This Tuesday, February 15th, the Red River Rivalry returns to Norman, Oklahoma, as the Texas Longhorns face the Oklahoma Sooners for the second time this season. The history behind this rivalry is deep as tensions will be high, and pride will be on the line. When the teams met earlier in the season, the Longhorns were able to pull out a strong 66-52 win, but the Sooners are hungry for revenge. Oklahoma is no stranger to playing highly ranked teams and has had success against opponents who are ranked, but have they improved their play enough to take down the #20 Texas Longhorns? We’ll be sure to find out at Lloyd Noble Center or on ESPN2 at 6:00 PM CST.

Texas vs. Oklahoma Betting Odds

The Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners have played each other on the basketball court 88 times since 1949. Oklahoma has walked away with 49 wins in the history of their matchup, and Texas follows closely behind with 39 wins. Texas received their 39th win in January of this year and seek to take home their 40th this week. Texas is the favorite going into this game with a -1 spread, with Oklahoma being a +1 underdog. ESPN’s matchup predictor also favors the Longhorns with a 53.7% prediction of success. There’s no surprise that Texas should be the leader with their #20 national ranking and 7-5 conference record compared to Oklahoma’s 4-8. However, Oklahoma has been slightly more impressive against the spread. OU has gone 12-13 ATS, ranking sixth in the Big 12. The Longhorns follow closely behind with an 11-14 ATS record, placing them seventh in the Big 12. With a spread as marginal as one point, it’s nearly impossible to cover without taking home the moneyline as well. The Sooners have only lost by one point in one match this 2021-2022 season against another Big 12 rival, Texas Christian University. If the Sooners want to maintain their place in the Big 12 and the Men’s Division I basketball, they need to pull out this crucial win. The Longhorns will be sure to put up a fight to maintain their top 25 status, so this game might fire up to be one of the closer matchups we see this Tuesday.

My Prediction: Texas Wins 63-59, Texas Covers

Texas Longhorns Odds

The Texas Longhorns have proven themselves to be a considerable threat in Men’s Division Basketball this season. Their record currently stands at 18-7 overall and 7-5 in Big 12 play. They’re currently ranked #20 overall and have taken big wins from teams like the Iowa State Cyclones, the Kansas Jayhawks, and the Tennessee Volunteers. However, they lost their last game against the Baylor Bears in a whopping 80-63 beating. Their previous 66-52 win against the Sooners leaves hope that they can redeem themselves to stop a loss from turning into a losing streak.

The most significant contributor in their last meeting was senior guard Andrew Jones. Jones was able to put up 22 points against the Sooners, shooting 46.7% from the field and 40% from beyond the three-point line. In the rest of the season, Jones hasn’t had the same success when away from home. On average, he only shoots 36.8% from the field and 33% from the three-point line when on the road. This begs the question if Jones is a powerhouse against the Sooners’ defense, or if he was just fantastic in front of his own crowd?

Timmy Allen will be another player to watch out for in this matchup. He’s the team’s leading point scorer with an average of 11.6 points per game. He also leads the team in rebounds with 6.6 per game. Against OU, Allen was able to score 10 points and shot 57% from the field. The senior forward will be matched up against OU’s leading scorer, Tanner Groves, so there will be a battle of the paint between the two opponents. 

The key to another Longhorn win will be to prevent three-point shots from the Sooners. In their last meeting, Texas was able to keep Oklahoma only sinking 7% of shots from beyond the three-point line. If they can guard the perimeter and stop long shooters like Umoja Gibson and Jordan Goldwire, they may be able to pull out victory once again.

Oklahoma Sooners Odds

The Oklahoma Sooners have fallen into a rough patch with their play over the last few weeks. After starting the season on a hot win streak, the team has fallen to a 14-11 record and a 4-8 conference record. The Sooners have had difficulty securing wins in one of the most demanding basketball conferences, the Big 12. This game against the Longhorns is crucial for the Sooners’ survival, as they stand in 8th place in the Big 12. Hopefully, a home-court game will lift their spirits and give them a fighting chance in this matchup. 

In their last meeting with Texas, they were completely outshot from beyond the three-point line. They had a season-low of 7% accuracy from the perimeter. However, the team has shown improvement from beyond the line in their past few games. Senior guard Umoja has been explosive in that region more recently. In the Sooners’ matchup against #9 Texas Tech, Gibson put up 30 points, with 24 of them coming from three-point shots. He shot an incredible 72.7% from the perimeter and helped the team secure the win. In the last game against Texas, Gibson had not established himself as a major asset to the Sooners yet and only scored seven points, shooting 33% overall. Gibson was slightly injured in their last matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks, so hopefully, he will be healthy enough for a return for this game to give Oklahoma a fighting chance.

Tanner Groves is the team’s overall top scorer averaging 12.9 points per game. His average has fluctuated throughout the season, with some games being over 20 points and others failing to cross the 10 point mark. In his last game, he was able to dominate the paint shooting 50% and putting up 19 points. However, in the last matchup against Texas, Groves struggled to get a shot up. He only had one from beyond the three-point line to be successful. Three points from Groves was never going to end in a Sooner win. Hopefully, the home-court advantage will help Groves be more established in this game so he can help his team reinsert themselves in the Big 12.

Texas vs. Oklahoma Picks and Predictions

This game will come down to defensive strategies. The Longhorns will need to continue to shut down the perimeter offense of the Sooners and force turnovers. The Sooners will need to find a way to keep Timmy Allen and Andrew Jones from stealing the show once again. I see defensive pressure as the highlight for both teams for this matchup, so an under bet will be a solid choice. The Longhorns have kept their opponents over 60 points in most of their games, and the Sooners were once notorious for their defensive stops. Whoever can dominate defensively should walk away from this game victorious.