Texas basketball vs. OU: Predicting and odds college basketball
The Big 12 slate opens up for acting head coach Rodney Terry and No. 6 Texas basketball in roughly 24 hours. Texas will open up Big 12 play on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) against the Oklahoma Sooners in the Red River Rivalry game on the hardwood.
Terry and the Longhorns get a pretty interesting test to open up the Big 12 slate against head coach Porter Moser and the Sooners. Oklahoma had an up-and-down finish to the non-conference slate, while the Longhorns finished it out earlier this week on a high note.
Texas comes into the Big 12 opener with a record of 11-1 (0-0 Big 12) following a convincing 97-72 win over the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions at home at the Moody Center on Dec. 27. Terry and the Longhorns have won four straight heading into this rivalry matchup against the Sooners.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma comes into this game with a record of 9-3 (0-0 Big 12) following a 62-53 win over the Florida Gators on Dec. 20 in the first-ever Jumpman Invitational. Oklahoma has won two straight games coming into conference play.
Here’s a look at the betting odds and game prediction as Texas hits the road to face Oklahoma in the Big 12 opener at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, with the tip-off time set for 1 p.m. CT.
Texas basketball vs. Oklahoma: Betting odds for Dec. 31
Texas is a slight 2.5-point favorite over Oklahoma and the over/under is set at 133.5 (per FanDuel).
The moneyline favors Texas (-134) over Oklahoma (+112).
According to the ESPN Basketball Power Index, Texas has a 62.0 percent chance of beating Oklahoma.
Texas vs. Oklahoma prediction
Texas will be looking to move its winning streak from three games to four if it can top the Sooners on Dec. 31. The Longhorns swept the Sooners last season, and has won four of the last five in this series.
But Norman is a tough place to play and the Lloyd Noble Center is sure to be rocking for this Red River matchup. Since a tough slip-up in its season opener against Sam Houston State, Oklahoma hasn’t lost a single game at home.
Oklahoma also has a new transfer stud that is leading the way for the team on offense this season. Former Wichita State Shockers and Nevada Wolfpack senior guard Grant Sherfield is having a career year, and he’s scorching hot from three-point range so far this season.
Sherfield leads the entire country in three-point field goal percentage, hitting his looks from deep at an insane clip of 56.5 percent.
Next. Breaking down 3 scorching hot Texas players heading into Big 12 play. dark
While I do believe that the Longhorns have the edge in this game, this will still be a tall task to get the win in the Big 12 opener. This is the first true road game for the Longhorns this season, and that can always be challenging, especially this far into the regular season schedule.