Texas vs Oklahoma Odds, Lines, and Spread
- The Oklahoma Sooners (14-8, 9-7 Big 12) host the Texas Longhorns (15-7, 9-6 Big 12) on Thursday, March 4
- Both teams are scuffling coming into the Red River rivalry rematch, with OU losing three straight and UT splitting its last four
- Read below for odds, analysis, and our best bet for this matchup
The Oklahoma Sooners (14-6, 9-7 Big 12), losers of three in a row, host the Texas Longhorns (15-7, 9-6 Big 12) on Thursday, March 4, in Norman. Tip is set for 9:00 pm ET at the Lloyd Noble Center.
After winning eight of nine games, including wins over four top-15 teams (Kansas, Texas, Alabama and West Virginia), Oklahoma is suddenly reeling. Now, the Sooners welcome the Longhorns in a weather-delayed Red River rivalry rematch. Texas, meantime, is hoping to avoid a sweep at the hand of OU. Lon Kruger’s team beat the ‘Horns 80-79 Jan. 26.
Oklahoma is a slight favorite to right the ship against Shaka Smart’s squad.
Texas vs Oklahoma Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | +2 (-110) | Off | O 142.5 (-110) |
| Oklahoma | -2 (-110) | Off | U 142.5 (-110) |
Odds as of March 3 at FanDuel.
Burnt Orange Balance
Texas has alternated wins and losses in the four games played since the scheduled game against OU was pushed back two weeks. The Longhorns’ latest victory came Tuesday night in an 81-67 triumph over Iowa State in which Kai Jones shined. The 6-foot-11 sophomore came off the bench to score a season-high 17 points and lead four Texas players in double figures, while also accounting for eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
Jaw. Dropped.
Courtney Ramey’s oop to Kai Jones is just… pic.twitter.com/ySDRq9v6pD
— Longhorn Network (@LonghornNetwork) March 3, 2021
Smart’s team is getting a nice inside-outside balance in the last couple weeks.
A big reason why has been the play of Greg Brown and Jericho Sims on the blocks, to go along with the dynamic guard scoring of Andrew Jones and Matt Coleman. Jones has emerged as one of the better players in a deep Big 12 this season. Plus, his inspiring story of beating cancer is easy to root for.
Jones has cooled a bit after scoring at least 13 points in 13 of 14 games, combining for only 17 in the last two outings. But the team’s leading scorer (at 14.8 points per game) is always a threat to heat up. And that complimentary play — along with UT’s revenge factor — make the Burnt Orange dangerous Thursday.
Austin Has No Limits
After missing two games due to COVID protocols, Oklahoma senior guard Austin Reaves has returned with a vengeance of his own. The team’s leading scorer has averaged 22.8 points per game in five outings upon his return. But the last three of those have been losses.
The senior, who scored 19 in a 79-75 loss to Oklahoma State on the back end of a Cowboy Bedlam sweep Monday, only had two turnovers against OSU. But one proved critical at the end.
The last three outings have been especially frustrating, considering they were all nail-biters that came down to a play or two at the end. All three ended in defeats by five points or less.
All about the bounce back… pic.twitter.com/OTU7cAgMWO
— The Come Up™ (@KnownAs_Moja) March 3, 2021
How the Sooners bounce back will be critical. OU’s offense went stagnant against the Pokes over a long stretch of the defeat. That’s not exactly encouraging heading into a matchup against a UT squad that holds opponents to a 46.1% effective field goal percentage (the 25th-best rate in the country).
The Matchup
This Longhorns-Sooners tilt doesn’t get much more evenly matched. Texas is the No. 25 rated team by KenPom, Oklahoma is No. 31. UT is ranked No. 15 in latest AP poll, OU is No. 16. KenPom predicts Kruger’s team will win by a score of 72-71. Is there definitive edge on either side?
Smart’s club has played well away from Austin, sporting a 4-2 road mark. But OU was one of the best teams in college basketball between mid-January and mid-February prior to its recent rough stretch, which included that sweep by OSU.
Landing Cade Cunningham gave OSU a chance at a special season. Mission accomplished with more to come. A sweep of Oklahoma and now well en route to its best seed since 2013, when it was a 5 w/ Marcus Smart on the roster. Haven’t made the S16 since ’05, but this group can do it.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 2, 2021
So, were the two of last three losses simply a case of being Cunningham’d? It could be.
The Sooners have still been truly impressive at Noble, going 10-2 on its home court. Plus, OU has beaten the Longhorns in three of the last four outings
Texas was not at full-strength when these two teams met last time. Smart and other key players were out due to COVID issues. But being back home and needing a win to close out the regular season, I expect Kruger to get it. Texas’ balance is is strong. But Oklahoma’s overall play, especially with Reaves back, is stronger.
The pick: Oklahoma -2 (-110)
Blair Johnson is a veteran journalist and seasoned sports content creator. He has been writing and producing content as long as he can remember, with such familiar names as CNN, NFL Media and Yahoo. Blair currently lives and works in the greater Los Angeles area.
