The top-ranked Baylor Bears (23-1, 12-0 Big 12) visit the Oklahoma Sooners (16-9, 6-6) Tuesday at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla., for a 9 p.m. ET tip-off. We analyze the Baylor-Oklahoma odds and betting lines, with college basketball betting advice and tips around this matchup.
In Monday’s USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll, Baylor received 21 of the 32 first-place votes.
Baylor at Oklahoma: Three things you need to know
1. Baylor took the first regular-season meeting 61-57 at home, but failed to cover a 10.5-point spread – the game finished Under 135. The Sooners rallied from an 11-point halftime deficit but G Austin Reaves missed a would-be go-ahead 3-pointer with 6 seconds left. G MaCio Teague led the Bears with 16 points in the win, but is questionable Tuesday with a wrist injury.
2. F Brady Manek – a game-high 21 points in the loss at Baylor – leads Oklahoma with 15.6 points per game. F Kristian Doolittle is the team’s top rebounder at 9.1 RPG. Baylor’s top scorer is G Jared Butler (15.3 PPG), while F Freddie Gillespie leads in rebounds with 8.8 RPG.
3. Both teams played Saturday. Oklahoma lost 87-70 at the No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks; Baylor won its 22nd game in a row, beating No. 14 West Virginia 70-59 at home. The Bears have won the last four in the head-to-head series with the Sooners, and six of the last seven.
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Baylor at Oklahoma: Odds, betting lines and picks
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Baylor 67, Oklahoma 64
Moneyline (ML)
PASS. Every $1.76 wager on the Baylor ML (-176) will profit $1 if it wins, while every $1 wagered on the Oklahoma ML (+145) will profit $1.45 if it wins. I’m taking a PASS and focusing on the spread and O/U.
Against the Spread (ATS)
A slight lean to the SOONERS +3.5 (-110). Sure, the Bears are the much better team, but expect Baylor to get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s Big 12 showdown with No. 3 Kansas (at home). Otherwise, all the trends point to the Bears, who are 16-8 ATS overall and 6-1 ATS on the road. The Sooners are 11-14 ATS overall and 5-7 ATS in Norman. If the Sooners don’t play their best game of the season – getting fired up to face No. 1 in front of a home crowd – I’d be shocked. But wait to make this bet. The line should move in our favor before tip.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 134 (-110) is the STRONGEST PLAY. Baylor’s defense is one of the stingiest in the country, ranking fifth by allowing just 58.4 PPG. The last three games in the series finished with scores of 61-57, 59-53 and 77-47.
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Johnny’s February record: 3-1. Since Dec. 1: 40-26-2.
February strongest plays: 1-1. Since Dec. 1: 22-10.
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