It’s been a very wild season in college basketball. Several top teams have already fallen, including those formerly ranked No. 1. The Oklahoma Sooners, who now have targets behind their backs as the nation’s top team. On Monday, they’ll face a very tough Texas Longhorns team, which has defeated superb ranked teams of late in No. 17 Iowa State, No. 6 Wake Forest and No. 15 Baylor during an impressive 7-1 stretch.
Start your Monday night right with this sizzling matchup in Norman, Oklahoma. Then, check out our complete preview for the marquee showdown in Louisville vs. Duke. And if you’re up for some professional basketball action, head on over to our breakdown for the Kings vs. Cavaliers game.
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Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners Preview
Where: Lloyd Noble Center, Norman
When: Monday, February 8, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Texas Longhorns (+8) at Oklahoma Sooners (-8) – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the Texas Longhorns (16-7)
The Texas Longhorns have won four-straight games heading into this big matchup against the nation’s No. 1 team. They won 67-59 at No. 15 Baylor on Monday, then won 69-59 at home against Texas Tech. The Longhorns’ solid defense — they’re first in the Big 12 in defensive field goal percentage — was in full display as they held Texas Tech to shoot 38.8 percent and Baylor to just 35.2 percent from the field.
The Longhorns have a handful of solid defensive playmakers. Cameron Ridley is averaging 3.4 blocks per contest, and he’s also a double-double machine with 12.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. Prince Ibeh has also been quite a presence in the paint with two blocks per game.
While Texas is a very good defensive team, their offense, meanwhile, always has to flow through Isaiah Taylor. Taylor’s averaging 15.3 points and 5.1 assists per game this season, but he can’t do it alone, and that help may come from Kerwin Roach Jr. Despite averaging just seven points per game this season, Roach has scored an average of 14 points over his last four.
The Longhorns are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games.
Betting on the Oklahoma Sooners (19-3)
The Oklahoma Sooners have won 15 straight at home since losing to Kansas State in overtime January 10. Now they’ll be even more hard-pressed to get back on the win column after the 80-69 loss to Kansas State just this past Saturday.
The Sooners have dominated the Longhorns of late after winning four-straight of their contests. They did so even with leading scorer Buddy Hield struggling in their last encounter. Hield shot just 4 of 17 from the floor for 12 points in their most recent victory over Texas from last season. And it’s not just that last game that the sensational guard has had a rough night in. Hield shot just 33.3 percent while averaging 14 points per game over his last three contests against the Longhorns.
You can count on Hield this time around, though. After averaging 17.4 points on 36 percent shooting last season, he’s now averaging 25.6 points on 52 percent shooting this campaign. Hield’s been especially hot from three-point range specifically by making 51 percent of his three-pointers.
If Hield can’t do it alone, then it’ll be an opportunity for the other Sooners to step up. Isaiah Cousins has been playing out of his mind recently, averaging 15.8 points per game in his last five games and with 11 makes from downtown in just 18 attempts. Ryan Spangler could also be counted on as a threat in the post. He’s coming into this game on the heels of three-straight double-doubles with an average of 13.7 points and 10.3 rebounds.
The Sooners are 3-1 ATS in their four-game win streak against Texas.
Writer’s Prediction
The Longhorns keep things close to cover +8, but ultimately fall on the road.
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