Oklahoma vs Xavier Odds, Lines and Spreads
- Xavier is a 1.5-point home favorite over Oklahoma on December 9th, 2020 in a Big 12-Big East Battle game at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati
- Both teams are undefeated as Xavier is off to a 6-0 start and Oklahoma is 2-0
- See the odds, lines, and spread for this matchup between Xavier and Oklahoma below
Perhaps no college basketball team has better navigated the pandemic-affected season better than Xavier. The Musketeers have already played six games and won them all.
Xavier figures to get a stern test in attempting to run its record to 7-0 when it hosts Oklahoma at 8 PM EST Wednesday in a Big 12-Big East Battle game at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
The Musketeers are small 1.5-point favorites.
Oklahoma vs Xavier Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | +100 | +1.5 (-115) | Over 147.5 (-106) |
| Xavier | -118 | -1.5 (-105) | Under 147.5 (-114) |
Odds taken Dec. 9 from FanDuel
While Xavier is 6-0 outright, it is just 3-3 against the spread. Oklahoma is 2-0 straight up and 1-1 ATS.
X’s Better O
Xavier coach Travis Steele’s primary focus coming into this season was improving the offense.
The Musketeers were 103rd in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency last season with 106.1 points per 100 possessions, according to KenPom.com. Xavier is 56th in 2020-21 with a 106.6 mark.
Xavier is also 24th nationally with a 49.9 field goal percentage and 47th in scoring with 80.5 points a game.
Speaking of improvement, sophomore forward Zach Freemantle has shown plenty of it during the first six games of the season. He leads the Musketeers in scoring with 17.2 points per game while also pulling down 8.5 rebounds per contest.
💪 | Two-handed flush for Zach Freemantle! He's up to 10 for the game.#LetsGoX pic.twitter.com/ok2l0t1d9H
— Xavier Basketball (@XavierMBB) December 1, 2020
Freemantle’s averages were 7.5 and 4.3 as a freshman.
Guard Paul Scruggs is off to a fine start to his senior season with 13.0 points and a team-best 7.0 assists a game.
Sophomore guard KyKy Tandy (12.7) and graduate guard Nate Johnson (10.5) are also scoring in double figures. Johnson is a transfer from Gardner-Webb.
Xavier is coming off a 77-69 victory over Cincinnati in the Crosstown Shootout on Saturday as Scruggs scored 20 points. The Musketeers were three-point underdogs on the road against their city rivals.
Sooner Stat Sheet Stuffers
Senior guard Austin Reeves can stuff the stat sheet with his fine all-round play, and he did just that in Oklahoma’s Big 12 opener.
In an 82-78 road win over TCU last Saturday, Reeves had 32 points, a career-high nine assists, and six rebounds. He was 7-of-16 on three-pointers and 16-of-18 at the foul line.
Takeover.
Austin Reaves scored 1️⃣5️⃣ of OU's last 1️⃣7️⃣ points to lead the #Sooners past TCU. pic.twitter.com/6mIBuHVLzo
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) December 7, 2020
The Sooners just missed covering as 4.5-point favorites despite shooting 51.9% from the field and 83.3% on free throws.
Another senior, forward Brady Manek, can also put together impressive numbers. He knocked down eight triples on his way to 29 points in 24 minutes in Oklahoma’s season-opening 105-66 victory over visiting UTSA.
Reeves was second in the team in scoring last season with a 14.7 average as Oklahoma went 19-12. Manek was third at 14.4
In the early going this season, Manek is tops on the Sooners with a 21.5 points per game mark, and Reeves is second with 20.0.
Sophomore guard De’Vion Harmon has also emerged as a major scoring threat in the early going with a 17.5 average. That is more than double his 7.4 mark from 2019-20.
A Brief History
Oklahoma has won both meetings between the schools. Those games, though, were played during the 1969-70 and 2001-02 seasons.
The #Sooners boast 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿 scorers in the Big 12.
Big challenge on Wednesday when Oklahoma faces undefeated Xavier in the Big 12/Big East Battle.
Preview: https://t.co/cHV0sv9cCg pic.twitter.com/7f3N43j5v3
— Oklahoma Basketball (@OU_MBBall) December 8, 2020
The most recent matchup came in the NCAA Tournament with Oklahoma prevailing 78-65 in the second round of the West Regional.
Look for Oklahoma to beat Xavier again this time around. The trio of Reeves, Manek, and Harmon will prove too much for the Musketeers, who could still be emotionally drained from the Crosstown Shootout.
The Pick: Oklahoma ML (+100)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
