Butler vs Oklahoma Odds and Picks (Dec. 7)

• Oklahoma is a 10.5-point favorite over Butler on Tuesday
• Butler is 2-5 ATS, 0-3 against the Power 6
• Read below for analysis and a betting prediction

Oklahoma (7-1) is a 10.5-point home favorite against Butler in the Big East-Big 12 Battle at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday on ESPN2. The Sooners’ only loss was to Utah State in the championship game of the Myrtle Beach Classic holiday tournament.

Butler (5-3) is 0-1 in the Big East-Big 12 Battle, first played in 2019. Then No.-11 Baylor beat the Bulldogs in Waco on Dec. 10,  2019. Butler’s scheduled game against Kansas State last year was cancelled because of Covid-19 issues in the Bulldogs’ program.

Butler vs Oklahoma

Odds from FanDuel on Dec. 5.

Success Coming Sooner

The addition of new coach Porter Moser and transfers Tanner Groves and Jordan Goldwire have had an immediate impact in Norman, where the Sooners have won seven of their first eight and are coming off a 74-67 home victory over Nov. 14 Florida on Wednesday.

Moser, who took full advantage of mobile big man Cameron Krutwig as a scorer and a distributor in Loyola’s run to the Sweet 16 a year ago, is getting similarly good play from 6’10 Groves, who was the Big Sky Player of the Year at Eastern Washington last season.

Groves had 20 points (on 8 of 11 shooting) and eight rebounds against Florida and leads the Sooners in scoring (15.5) and rebounding (6.4). His is shooting 59.5 percent from the field, with range — he has made is 12 of of 29 3-point attempts, 41.4 percent.

Returning starter 6’1 Umoja Gibson  is averaging 11.8 points per game, and 6’6 Jalen Hill (9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds) has stepped seamlessly into Moser’s offense and playing off the bench a year ago. Hill is shooting 72.5 percent from the field on dives to the basket.

Duke transfer 6’3 Goldwire is averaging 9.4 points and 4.3 assists with an assist:turnover ratio of nearly 2:1 while guiding an offense that is shooting an even 50 percent from the field, tied for 12th in NCAA Division I.

I think Porter Moser is endearing himself pic.twitter.com/XwO8YBiNLS

— Eddie Radosevich (@Eddie_Rado) December 2, 2021

Butler Adjusting

Butler has had to scramble since a bit since losing 6’7 starting senior forward Bryce Nze to a shoulder injury seven minutes into a 73-52 home loss at Michigan State on Nov. 17.

The Bulldogs have split their four games since, but they provided little resistance in a 70-52 loss to Houston in the first round of the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas, their first game with Nze. They lost Texas A&M in the second round before beating Chaminade in the seventh-place game.

https://youtu.be/0Mq3ZFriGro

Leading scorer 6’3 guard Jair Bolden played off the bench in the first six games before moving into the starting lineup in the last two victories, trading places with No. 3 scorer 6’2 sophomore Chuck Harris, who is averaging 10.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Freshman 6’4 guard Jayden Taylor is averaging 11.9. Forward 6’8 Tyler Groce (8.4 points, 4.7 rebounds has started the last four games since Nze went down. Nze solidified the interior a year ago, averaging 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds in 31 minutes per game.

https://youtu.be/WLSdcA8Gl80

The Bulldogs are shooting 44.4 percent from the field, up from a year ago, and even with a smaller group have a plus-2.1 rebound margin. But they are among the lowest-ranked team in NCAA Division I in taking care of the ball with a minus-2.9 turnover margin. That ranks 308th of 344 programs charted.

By the Numbers

Oklahoma is 4-4 ATS, 1-2 as a home favorite. The Sooners have won all four of their home games covered as a 1.5-point underdog in a 74-67 homer victory over Florida the last time out, the only time they have not been favored this season.

Butler is 2-5 ATS, 0-3 as an underdog. They have lost and failed to cover all three games against Power 6 opponents Michigan State, Houston and Texas A&M. Oklahoma has won three of the five games in the series, and the Sooners won the most recent game 59-46 in the 2014 Battle 4 Atlantis.

Butler is allowing 58.4 points per game, 23rd in Division I, and has a plus-6.2 scoring margin. Oklahoma’s scoring margin is plus-15.4, among the top 50.

It is a bit of a trap game for Oklahoma, which plays No. 12 Arkansas at home on Saturday. At the same time, the Sooners are playing with energy under coach Moser while Butler is still looking for the right fit.

The pick: Oklahoma -10.5 (-118)