Don’t expect a high-scoring game when the No. 23-ranked Texas Longhorns (19-11) travel to Oklahoma State to take on the Cowboys (12-18). Action gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 4 and will air on ES2 and ES3.
The Cowboys lost to Iowa State 58-50 on Monday. Tyree Griffin played well for Oklahoma State, putting up seven points, five assists, and four rebounds. The Longhorns, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their demoralizing 86-56 loss to Kansas on Monday. Javan Felix had a team-high 13 points.
Half-court execution will be at a premium as Oklahoma State ranks 323rd in the nation in possessions per game (65.5 possessions per game), while Texas is 292nd (66.7).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Longhorns won the first game 74-69. Isaiah Taylor was a top performer in the victory with 18 points, two rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one three-pointer.
The Cowboys are trying to improve upon their records of 12-18 Straight Up (SU) and 14-13-1 Against The Spread (ATS). In their last 10 games, they are 7-3 ATS. The Cowboys are an impressive shooting team from the line with a .737 free throw percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. As for the Oklahoma State defense, it’s been a struggle for opposing teams to score on the Cowboys. The 63.5 points that Oklahoma State’s defense allows per home game makes them the 43rd-ranked defense at home. The Cowboys have really locked down opponents on the defensive end, ranking 41st in the country with a .406 opponent field-goal percentage.
On the other side, Texas has a SU record of 19-11 and an ATS record of 15-14. During the last 10 games, they averaged 59.1 PPG, below their 72.0 PPG season average. The Texas defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking 39th in Division I with only 68.5 points allowed per road game. Texas has not committed many turnovers, averaging only 10.6 per game.
The Longhorns’ win over Oklahoma State in their last clash wasn’t enough for them to overtake Oklahoma State in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the most recent meetings. The Cowboys also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-2-1. Texas held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once in the last five game, while Oklahoma State wasn’t able to do so in that span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Tex, ATS Winner – Tex
Notes
Oklahoma State scores an average of just 66.9 points per game (ranked 232nd). Texas ranks 79th in points allowed, giving up 68.4 points per game.
Oklahoma State scores just 68.5 points per home game (ranked 234th). Texas ranks 39th in points allowed on the road, giving up 68.5 points.
In its last game, Texas lost by a margin of 30 points. Oklahoma State is 5-2 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Texas has a 1-1 record in blowouts.
Texas beats Oklahoma State in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Longhorns average 66.7 possessions and 1.080 points per possession, while the Cowboys average 65.5 possessions with 1.021 points per possession.
The Texas Longhorns average an effective field goal percentage of 49.5% this season. The Oklahoma State Cowboys have an underachieving record of 1-7 when opponents have an eFG% of 49.5% or greater.
Oklahoma State ranks 92nd in blocks per game with 4.1 and Texas ranks 68th with 4.4 blocks per game.
On average, Oklahoma State forces a turnover rate of 17.8%. When Texas turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a solid 6-3 record.
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