Oklahoma State vs Texas Odds & Pick: Double-Digit Win

Oklahoma State faces Texas on Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2. Below, we have Oklahoma State vs Texas odds and a pick.

The Texas Longhorns are in must-win territory against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Texas can't afford a bad loss and could certainly use a winning (or at least .500) record in conference play as the Longhorns are just 7-8 in the Big 12.

Texas needs this game, but will it win?

The one thing Oklahoma State fans could ask for after losing the first seven conference games is for competitive games down the stretch.

Ask and you shall receive.

The Cowboys have won three of their past seven games (two as sizable underdogs) and lost three games by single digits. That’s a huge improvement over Oklahoma State’s brutal start in conference play.

Oklahoma State is dealing with an identity crisis under coach Mike Boynton. In previous years, you could always expect an elite defensive effort from the Cowboys. However, this year has been different as the mixture of younger players and transfers hasn’t meshed on defense.

Offensively, Oklahoma State is focusing more on shooting 3s and attempting triples on 43% of field-goal attempts. Unfortunately, that isn't yielding a ton of success as the Cowboys are shooting only 34% from deep. Javon Small is Oklahoma State’s only reliable scoring threat from game-to-game. The other pieces simply have up-and-down performances with an occasional strong showing.

You just don’t know what you’ll get from the Cowboys offense from game-to-game, though one of the things that’s worked is feeding freshman center Brandon Garrison. He had a huge game in Oklahoma State’s win over BYU and in a narrow loss against Baylor. The former four-star recruit is still a freshman, but is built like a senior. Expect him to make an impact here.

Texas' offense goes as Max Abmas goes. Prior to Texas' game against Texas Tech, Abmas had averaged 6.5 points over a three-game sample. Then, he poured in 18 points in the win over Texas Tech. Abmas can really score and Texas will need vintage Abmas to re-emerge in the final stretch. The Longhorns offense is terrific, ranking 26th in offensive efficiency.

Also, Dylan Disu is probably the least heralded star in the conference. Why isn’t this dude getting more love? He’s averaging a team-high 16.8 points while shooting 50% from the field and a jaw-dropping 53% from 3.

In Texas' win over Texas Tech, coach Rodney Terry went with a different starting lineup. The Longhorns started Ithiel Horton, shifting Disu to the four and Dillon Mitchell to the five. The smaller lineup led to more floor-spacing and provided more athleticism. The result? Texas scored 81 points with 1.16 PPP on the road. Having different lineups is never a bad thing and when Terry wants more size, he can start Kadin Shedrick.

Switching back to the original starting lineup could serve the Longhorns well in this matchup.

Oklahoma State is playing better lately, but Texas is playing for something much larger. The crowd should show enthusiasm, which is worth a couple points of value. Plus, Texas’ elite offense could exploit Oklahoma State’s inconsistent defense.

Hook 'Em.

Pick: Texas -9.5 (Play to -10.5)