The Houston Cougars (25-3) travel to face off against the Oklahoma Sooners (19-9) on Saturday, March 2nd. This game will be played at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman and televised on ESPN2. Houston is coming off a win in their previous game, while Oklahoma is looking to get back on track from a loss to the Iowa State. Tip-off is set for 8:00 ET.
Houston Cougars vs Oklahoma Sooners
The Houston Cougars Are Coming Off A Win
Playing on the road, Houston is favored by 5.5 points against Oklahoma. The Cougars have been favored in 25 of their 28 games this season, going 23-2 in those contests. Houston has won five straight games, and it is 25-3 overall.
Over their last 10 road games, the Cougars have gone 7-3. They have a road average scoring margin of +2.0 this season, and they are 6-3 on the road. Houston’s average scoring margin at home is +26.8, and they are 17-0 at home.
Against the spread, Houston has a record of 12-12-2 this season. On the road, they are 2-6-1 vs. the spread. In their last 10 games as the favorite, the Cougars have gone 4-4-2 ATS.
Today’s over/under line of 128.5 is lower than the average over/under line in Houston’s games this year (133). So far, 12 of their games have finished with less points than today’s OU line. In their last three games, the over/under record is 2-1 and the average scoring total is 140 points.
The Oklahoma Sooners Look To Bounce Back From A Loss
After losing their last game to Iowa State by a score of 58-45, the Sooners’ overall record stands at 19-9. They have gone 6-8 in Big 12 play compared to a 13-1 non-conference record.
So far this season, Oklahoma has gone 15-3 when favored and 3-6 when the underdog. They are currently on a three-game losing streak and have gone 2-3 in their last five games at home.
As the underdog, Oklahoma has an ATS record of 3-6 this season and they are 13-14 overall vs. the spread. At home, the Sooners are 10-9 vs. the spread this year and their last 10 ATS mark as the underdog is 4-6. In their last 10 home games vs. the spread, Oklahoma is 3-7 and they are 1-4 vs. the spread in their last 5 home contests.
So far this season, the over/under record for Oklahoma games is 11-16, and today’s line of 128.5 is lower than the average OU line of 143.8. This year, 19 of their games have finished with more points than today’s line. Over their last three games, the average scoring total is 131 points.
Houston Offense Breakdown
Compared to their season average of 73.9 points per game, Houston struggled in their previous game. Against Cincinnati, the Cougars scored 67 points while finishing with a field goal percentage of 38.9%. LJ Cryer led the team in scoring, putting up 22 points. Additionally, J’Wan Roberts contributed 15 points for the Cougars.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| LJ Cryer (G) | 15.2 | 2.4 | 1.9 |
| Jamal Shead (G) | 13.1 | 3.8 | 6.1 |
| Emanuel Sharp (G) | 12.7 | 3.8 | 0.9 |
Oklahoma Offense Breakdown
In their most recent game, the Oklahoma offense concluded with only 45 points against Iowa State. Throughout the game, they made 3/17 three-point attempts and had a field goal percentage of 32.6%. For the season, the Oklahoma offense has been one of the more efficient shooting teams in the NCAA with a field goal percentage of 46%. So far, they have hit 54% of their looks from inside the arc, and are averaging 7.2 made three’s per contest.
| Name | PPG | REB | AST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Javian McCollum (G) | 13.7 | 2.6 | 3.3 |
| Otega Oweh (G) | 11.9 | 4.0 | 1.1 |
| Jalon Moore (F) | 10.6 | 6.4 | 0.4 |
Houston Team Defense
This season, the Houston defense has been impressive, holding the 1st position in the country while permitting an average of 56.2 points per contest. Against Cincinnati in their most recent game, the Houston defense gave up a total of 59 points while allowing Cincinnati to hit 38% of their shots.
Oklahoma Team Defense
So far, the Sooners’ defense is ranked 47th in the country at 66.9 points per contest. On average, opposing teams are hitting 6.0 threes per game vs. Houston. This has come on three-point shooting percentage of 28.5%.
Cougars vs Sooners Trends
- Across their three previous road games, Houston has an ATS mark of 1-1-1. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-1 while averaging 71 points per game.
- When looking at their past ten home matchups, Oklahoma has an ATS record of 4-6 while averaging 66 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
- The last five games that Oklahoma was the underdog, they have an ATS mark of 2-3 while going 2-3 straight up.
- The Cougars have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 5-0 straight up and 2-1-2 against the spread.
Cougars vs Sooners Prediction
Entering the game as underdogs with a spread of +5.5, the Sooners is our point spread pick. Our projections not only see them covering the spread but also indicate a solid chance of an outright victory. This is a good choice for those looking for a higher moneyline payout.
As for the over/under, the the line is currently at 128.5, and our model projects the Cougars and Sooners to reach a combined total of 142 points. Our bet is on taking the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:March 2, 2024 Houston Cougars, Oklahoma Sooners