The No. 1-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (15-2) head to Baylor to take on the No. 13-ranked Bears (15-3) in what should be a high-scoring game. Action begins at 12:00 pm ET on Saturday, Jan. 23 and can be seen on ES2 and ES3.
The Bears enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Kansas State 79-72 on Wednesday. Johnathan Motley played a pivotal role with 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. The Sooners, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 82-77 loss against Iowa State on Monday. Isaiah Cousins had a good game for Oklahoma, accounting for 26 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
It might turn into a shootout as a pair of the nation’s top offenses match up. Baylor ranks 16th in the country with 117.2 points per 100 possessions, while Oklahoma is 31st in that metric (114.5).
Oklahoma is a slim one-point favorite over Baylor. The matchup has an estimated Over/Under (O/U) of 150 points. The Bears have gone 15-3 Straight Up (SU) and 5-7 Against The Spread (ATS). The Bears have no trouble scoring as they rank 38th in the nation in offense with 80.7 points per game. The Bears are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .734 from the free throw line. Expect to see a lot of second-chance opportunities for Baylor in this matchup, which is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 14.3 offensive boards per game. Baylor is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.65. Baylor’s defenders rank 25th in Division I in steals with 8.3 per game.
As for their opponent, the Sooners have 15-2 SU and 7-8 ATS records. Oklahoma has a good SU record over the last 10 games (8-2), but has a 2-8 record ATS. The Sooners rely heavily on three-pointers on offense, ranking 17th in the nation with 184 made (10.0 per game). The Sooners average 71.6 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 77.6 points per game during that span. Blocking shots is an area where Oklahoma has excelled. The Sooners average 5.8 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference foes. Their previous game was a Bears victory, but the win was not enough for them to overtake Oklahoma in their recent head-to-head series. Their record is now 4-6 SU over the last few meetings. Furthermore, Oklahoma holds the advantage ATS with a record of 7-3. In these last five matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers one time.
Predictions: SU Winner – Baylor, ATS Winner – Baylor, O/U – Over
Notes
Baylor is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Baylor’s last 6 games.
Baylor is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
Baylor is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Oklahoma.
Baylor is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma.
Baylor and Oklahoma hold winning records against the Big 12 Conference this season. The Baylor Bears sit at 5-1 SU and the Oklahoma Sooners have a 4-2 record.
Oklahoma is one of the top-scoring teams, averaging 85.7 points per game (ranked fourth). Baylor allows 66.6 points per game (ranked 68th).
Baylor has allowed an average of 61.1 points per home game this season. Oklahoma averages 84.4 points per away game, ranking fifth in scoring.
The Oklahoma Sooners rank 31st for their offensive rating of 114.5. The Baylor Bears have a defensive rating of 96.3 (ranked 53rd).
Baylor has an average field goal percentage of 48.1%. Oklahoma is undefeated (2-0) when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Baylor Bears rank higher based on their field goal percentage (31st) than their effective field goal percentage (60th). The Oklahoma Sooners rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (20th) than their field goal percentage (54th).
Among all teams in the nation, Baylor is tops in assists, registering an average of 20.9 per game. Oklahoma ranks lower in total assists at 66th (15.6 per game).
Oklahoma, the 11th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.8 blocks per game. Baylor ranks 95th with 4.2.
The Baylor Bears are among the best offensive rebounding teams in the country (ranked 15th). The Oklahoma Sooners are the top-ranked defensive rebounding team.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 20.9% when playing Baylor this season. Oklahoma is undefeated (6-0) when its TO% is 20.9% or higher.
