The regular college basketball season is nearing its end, and teams are scrambling to secure additional wins and get into a better position for the conference tournament. The situation is no different in the Big 12 conference, where tonight, February 13th, the 4th-placed Bears will host the 6th-placed Sooners at Foster Pavilion.
Oklahoma arrives in Texas after defeating Oklahoma State 66-62 at home on Saturday, while the host of tonight's matchup lost their Saturday game 64-61 against Kansas on the road. Historically, the Sooners have been more fortunate in this Big 12 pairing, with a 44-23 record, but in the more recent past, Baylor has had the upper hand, triumphing in 10 out of their last 11 meetings.
Sports gambling apps see the home team, Baylor, as a 6.5-point favorite and a FanDuel sport promo code is available for predicting the outcome of this matchup. Let's examine the odds and performances of these two Big 12 teams.
The Sooners Are Entering Winning Mode
Oklahoma is on track to have a bye in the upcoming Big 12 tournament, thanks to its 18-6 overall record and a 6-5 in-conference record. The Sooners have a two-game winning streak and are arriving at Baylor searching for their fourth win in their last five games.
Oklahoma's offensive play is high scoring, with 77.3 points per contest, shooting 47.3% from the floor and 34.4% from the three-point line. Under the rim, the Sooners snag 36.9 boards per night, plus distribute the ball reasonably well with 14 assists per night, although they turn over the ball on average 12.5 times per game.
Although the offense has been productive, the defense is also doing its part by allowing 66.1 points a game, ranking 40th in scoring defense in the nation. Statistically, the most productive players are Javian McCollum with 14.2 points, Otega Oweh with 12.5 points, Jalon Moore with 10.5 points, plus a deep bench. The Sooners are not battling injuries currently and are in winning mode for tonight's showdown.
The Bears Are Winners at Home
The Bears are currently ranked 4th in the Big 12 after losing to a conference rival, Kansas, on Saturday night. Their overall record is 17-6 and 6-4 within the conference. This team scores easily, ranking 20th in the nation, with an average of 82.7 points per night. The efficiency is 48.9% from the field and 39.8% from deep, the 4th best shooting percentage in the NCAA from beyond the arc.
Scoring is one category where Baylor has a big advantage over Oklahoma, while they have similar performance in the remaining stats categories. The Bears dish out 15.6 assists and 36 rebounds per contest. However, it is worth emphasizing that the high-scoring average of 82.7 points is not a reality every night. For example, this weekend, Kansas held them to only 61 points.
The defensive numbers show that Baylor allows 70.6 points a game, ranking 141th in defensive scoring. McDonald's All-American freshman Ja'Kobe Walter contributes with 14.3 points per game, RayJ Dennis produces 13.3 points, and Langston Love makes an impact with 11.5 points. This roster is packed with additional talent.
Betting Prediction
Baylor is offensively sound, while Oklahoma's defense is competent, making for a balanced matchup. Top betting apps offer -260 odds on a Bears moneyline bet and +210 betting line for the same wager on the Sooners. The 6.5-point spread receives -105 odds on the favorite Baylor to cover and -115 on the underdog Oklahoma. The total is 143.5 points with -110 odds for the Over and Under bets. The Bears have lost only one game at home this season in 13 games played at Foster Pavilion.
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