TCU vs. Oklahoma Odds
| TCU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 127.5 -110o / -110u | +225 |
| Oklahoma Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 127.5 -110o / -110u | -280 |
Saturday marked the ninth annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge, a refreshing interruption of conference play. The SEC got the better of the Big 12, claiming victories in six of the 10 matchups.
TCU, however, earned a banner victory for the Big 12, with an impressive performance over LSU. The Horned Frogs opened up an early lead and despite a furious rally from the Bayou Bengals, held on to claim an enormous, resume-boosting win.
Porter Moser, on the other hand, drew the short end of the stick in his first ever SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Sooners were shredded by the nation's top team, Auburn, in a 86-68 drumming in the heart of SEC country.
Oklahoma battled courageously, but few teams in America can match Auburn's firepower, as the Sooners found out first hand.
Now, a quick turnaround mounts pressure on both head coaches to re-ground and re-focus their teams for another critical intra-conference showdown.
Will Oklahoma bounce back at home? Or will TCU ride the momentum from Saturday's "upset" into another Big 12 win?
TCU Horned Frogs
Beating LSU nudged the Horned Frogs a few steps closer to securing Jamie Dixon's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018. It's been tough sledding the last few years for Dixon, who was rumored to be on the hot seat heading into this season.
However, a refurbished roster nucleus has been a saving grace.
It all starts with superb sophomore Mike Miles, but the second-year stalwart finally has help around him. Power conference transfers, such as Damion Baugh (Memphis) and Emanuel Miller (Texas A&M), alleviate the burden off of Miles' shoulders, while enabling Dixon's balanced and democratic offense.
TCU enters tonight's tilt with a 4-2 record against the spread against Big 12 opponents, which includes an overtime victory over the Sooners on January 15th.
TCU was fortunate to squeak out a win two weeks ago, and will have to be razor sharp to pull off the season sweep in Norman tonight.
Oklahoma Sooners
Moser has held his own in his first season on the Big 12 battleground. It's the only conference in America where every team is a legitimate NCAA Tournament at-large hopeful. The Sooners, despite a lackluster record to date, are still in the hunt — though, there's plenty of work left to be done.
Tonight's tilt against TCU offers a prime spot to get back on track. The Horned Frogs were charged up after a monster win over LSU on Saturday. Could a hangover be in the cards tonight?
The Sooners can't rely on that angle alone to pull out a win, though. Moser will surely remind his troops how sloppy they were in the first meeting against TCU.
That night, OU coughed up the rock 20 times, including a combined 12 giveaways by veterans Elijah Harkless and Tanner Groves.
TCU vs. Oklahoma Betting Pick
That first meeting between the two was a sneak preview of what to expect tonight. Both coaches are shrewd tacticians and points will be hard to come by, just as they were in TCU's 59-58 victory in overtime the first time around.
Despite the spot concerns for TCU, six points feels like a mountain to climb for Oklahoma's offense. Groves has been cramped for spacing in Big 12 play, as his teammates' porous outside shooting has failed to loosen up opposing defenses.
The Sooners are converting just 29% from behind the arc in conference play, and their losses are directly traceable to poor shooting performances.
Perhaps tonight they snap out of that funk, but the Sooners aren't stocked with precision long-range snipers, save Umoja Gibson. Gritty wings, such as Harkless and Jalen Hill, are more apt microcosms of OU's identity, as it does its damage in the paint.
That will be a chore against TCU's stingy interior defense.
Pick: TCU +5.5
