Betting Lines Flip in Oklahoma’s Favor Ahead of Visit from BYU
BYU vs Oklahoma Preview: Sooners Seek to End Three-Game Skid
The Big 12 is one of the strongest conferences in college basketball. While Houston and Kansas are the class of the league, BYU has surprisingly asserted itself among the contenders.The 21st-ranked Cougars will look to continue their success when they visit Oklahoma on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET).
BYU opened as a 1.5-point favorite, but those lines have since shifted. Oklahoma is now -1.5 on the spread and -125 on the moneyline, with the Cougars priced +105 to win outright. Meanwhile, the projected total has climbed from 148.5 to 150.5, with a slight edge to the Over at -115 odds.
What can bettors expect? Read on as we break down both college basketball teams in our BYU vs Oklahoma preview.
Cougars vs Sooners 
Day/Time:
Location: Lloyd Noble Center; Norman, OK.
Streaming: Watch Live Sports
BYU vs Oklahoma Betting Trends
The BYU Cougars are 14-7 ATS but just 1-4 away from home. The Cougars have gone Over the total in 11 of their 21 games. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma Sooners are 12-10 ATS, including 7-6 at home. As for the Over/Under, the Sooners’ record is 11-11.
Be sure to remember these trends when assessing the odds in our BYU vs Oklahoma preview.
Cougars Trending Upward
BYU (16-5, 4-4 BIg 12 Conference) has won two straight and is ranked No. 21 in the AP Top 25. It’s coming off an 86-73 victory over West Virginia on Saturday in which it covered as a 7-point favorite.
The Cougars have a few ranked wins, having beaten No. 24 San Diego State and No. 14 Iowa State. They’ve climbed as high as 12th in the AP poll and are projected by ESPN’s Joe Lunardi to land a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Thus, postseason expectations are reasonably high for Mark Pope’s team. The Cougars — who haven’t advanced beyond the first round of the NCAA Tournament since 2014 — are +1100 to make the Final Four and +5000 to win the national championship, one of 18 schools with 50/1 NCAA basketball champions odds or better.
BYU has been efficient offensively, ranking 14th in the country in scoring (84.4), 30th in shooting percentage (47.9) and second in assist rate (20.1), The Cougars also have the second best point differential at plus-18.3, behind only Houston (plus-19.6).
Five different Cougars are averaging double figures in scoring, led by guard Jaxson Robinson (13.8). Trevin Knell is averaging 11.8 points per game and Spencer Johnson 11.2.
While BYU is 14-7 ATS, it’s covered in just one of its five road games. The Cougars are also 0-3 ATS as an underdog this season compared to 14-4 when favored. Despite that, they’ve hit the Over in five straight games to bring their record against the Over/Under to 10-11. That’s important to remember when analyzing the odds in our BYU vs Oklahoma preview.
Sooners Hit the Skids
Oklahoma (16-6, 4-5 Big 12) has dropped three straight on the NCAA schedule, causing it to fall out of the AP Top 25 after being ranked as high as No. 7. The Sooners are coming off a 74-63 loss to UCF on Saturday in which they were a 1-point favorite.
The Sooners’ resume is still a bit flawed. They own only one ranked win and sit below .500 in conference play. Despite that, projections still have them getting a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Following their latest loss, the Sooners dropped to +2500 to reach the Final Four and +10000 to win the national championship.
Oklahoma ranks 91st in the country in scoring (77.6) but is 54th in shooting percentage (47.3). The Sooners also rank 35th in points differential (plus-11.3). Siena transfer Javian McCollum is the Sooners’ leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game. Otega Oweh and Georgia Tech transfer Jalon Moore are averaging 13.0 and 10.2 points, respectively.
The Sooners are 12-10 ATS, including 7-6 at home (11-2 OU). However, they’ve covered just four times in the last 12 college basketball games. As a favorite, the Sooners are 13-3 OU and 9-7 ATS.
Handicapping the Game
BYU has been one of the most pleasant surprises in the Big 12. Its resume is quite good as a newcomer in one of the country’s strongest conferences.
The BYU Cougars have been solid offensively, especially from deep. They’re shooting 36% from 3-point range, an awfully impressive percentage given the amount of 3s they attempt. On the flip side, Oklahoma is holding opponents to only 28% shooting from 3. The Sooners have struggled offensively, so their defense will need to be in top form.
It helps that BYU could be without big man Aly Khalifa, who missed Saturday’s win with the flu.
For NCAAB picks, NCAA basketball betting lines and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
