NCAAB Odds, Pick for Oklahoma vs Kansas State

No. 23 Oklahoma and Kansas State battle on the hardwood on Tuesday night in a Big 12 matchup of teams looking to get back on track.

The Sooners have dropped their last two games to rival Texas and Texas Tech to fall to 15-5 overall.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats also lost both contests last week on the road, but they return to Manhattan with a 14-6 record.

Besides stopping losing skids, both programs could use a win to bolster their resumes for March, which should give us an excellent conference matchup.

After missing the NCAA Tournament in his first two seasons with the school, coach Porter Moser has his squad in a spot to end that streak.

The Sooners were rolling out of the gate, winning their first 10 games. It was Moser’s best start to a campaign since his 2017-18 Final Four team at Loyola-Chicago.

However, Oklahoma has run into issues in a brutal Big 12. If there is one positive note on the losses, all four defeats in conference play have come against teams in the top 50 in the NET.

If the Sooners want to get back on track, they’ll need their dynamic duo of Javian McCollum and Otega Oweh to continue to perform. The two average double figures in scoring, while Milos Uzan has also put up over 10 points per game in conference play.

With just one win over Quad 1 opponents this season, this is an excellent opportunity for coach Jerome Tang’s team to add to that record.

It also helps that Kansas State is back at home. The Wildcats are 11-1 at Bramlage Coliseum, which includes victories over Baylor and Villanova.

There have been plenty of close calls in those wins. K-State owns a 5-1 mark in games decided by four points or less and a perfect 10-0 record under Tang in overtime.

One of the keys to success recently has been the play on the defensive end of the floor. The Wildcats rank third in Big 12 play in points allowed per game and second in opponent field-goal percentage.

They’ll need another significant effort here in this crucial matchup.

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This is a massive game for two teams who want to avoid a three-game losing streak.

I think this will give us a pair of squads locked in defensively, especially early in the game.

So, my best bet is to take the first half to go under a total of 64 points or better, which will get posted on gameday after this article is released.

Regardless of a bump in defensive play, this is a pair of defenses that rank inside the top 30 in AdjD and EFG, according to BartTorvik. Meanwhile, both are in the top 80 in 2-point and 3-point shooting allowed.

These are also two teams that are well-prepared at the start of games. Kansas State is 66th in the country in the amount of points allowed on average at home in the first half of contests. Oklahoma is even better at 29th.

On the offensive end of the floor, neither program plays at a fast tempo. Both are ranked outside the top 200 in tempo Kenpom and field goal attempts per game.

This same play has also cashed in four of Kansas State’s seven conference matchups, and I believe it has a good shot of hitting again here.

Pick: 1H Under 64 or Better

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