In their final home game of the season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders (15-9) host the No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (20-4) at United Supermarkets Arena. Action starts at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and will air on ESU and ES3.
The Red Raiders had no trouble getting past Baylor 84-66 on Saturday. Keenan Evans was the game’s high scorer with 21 points on 5-for-8 shooting. The Sooners, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-72 loss at the hands of Kansas on Saturday. Isaiah Cousins had a solid game for Oklahoma, recording 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Cousins has been on a tear for the Sooners, averaging 17.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.4 three-pointers over the past five games.
A focal point for Texas Tech is getting to the free throw line. It ranks 34th in the nation in FTA rate (43.0), but Oklahoma is among the best in the nation at keeping opponents away from the charity stripe (ranking 12th by yielding a FTA rate of 26.3).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Sooners winning the first matchup 91-67. Buddy Hield had a stellar game with 30 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and five three-pointers.
The Red Raiders have gone 15-9 Straight Up (SU) and 12-10 Against The Spread (ATS). They have been worse ATS (3-7) than their SU record (7-3) over their last 10 games would indicate. The Red Raiders are one of the best in Division I in terms of free throw percentage, shooting an impressive .752 from the free throw line.
In the other locker room, Oklahoma has a SU record of 20-4 and an ATS record of 10-12. Oklahoma has not performed well ATS during its last 10 games, earning a 3-7 record. The Sooners rank 10th in the country in scoring, averaging 83.6 points per game. The Sooners are an excellent long-range shooting team with 262 three-point shots made (10.0 per game), ranking ninth in Division I. The Sooners have controlled the glass with an average of 40.1 rebounds per game, 35th in the country. Oklahoma’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .402 from the field. Blocking shots is an area where Oklahoma has excelled. The Sooners average 5.6 blocks per game, making them one of the best in the nation.
With the Sooners’ last win against Texas Tech, their SU record is now 7-3 over Texas Tech in their most recent meetings. At 5-5, they are even ATS. Oklahoma topped the Red Raiders in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) once over the last five matchups. Texas Tech has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – Okla, ATS Winner – Okla
Notes
Oklahoma is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 83.6 points per game (ranked 10th). Texas Tech, on the other hand, allows 69.5 points per game (ranked 102nd).
In its last game, Texas Tech won by a margin of 18 points. Oklahoma is 8-0 in games decided by a margin of 18 points or more. Texas Tech has a 3-1 record in blowouts.
Ranked 23rd, the Oklahoma Sooners have an offensive rating of 114.9. The Texas Tech Red Raiders rank 154th with a defensive rating of just 102.5.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders average a field goal percentage of 44.3% this season. The Oklahoma Sooners have a solid 5-3 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 44.3% or greater.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders rank higher based on their field goal percentage (166th) than their effective field goal percentage (216th). The Oklahoma Sooners rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (19th) than their field goal percentage (55th).
Oklahoma ranks 52nd in assists, recording 15.6 per game. Texas Tech performs worse at 196th with 13.2 assists per game.
Oklahoma, the 11th-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 5.6 blocks per game. Texas Tech ranks 70th with 4.4.
Texas Tech ranks 208th in offensive rebounds, while Oklahoma ranks 10th in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 19.7% when playing Texas Tech this season. Oklahoma is undefeated (8-0) when its TO% is 19.7% or higher.
