The Oklahoma Sooners take on the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens, GA. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Georgia is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -245. The total is set at 146.5 points.
Here are my Oklahoma vs. Georgia predictions and college basketball picks for January 11, 2025.
Oklahoma vs Georgia Prediction
My Pick: Georgia -5.5 (Play to -6)
My Oklahoma vs Georgia best bet is on the Bulldogs spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Oklahoma vs Georgia Odds
| Oklahoma Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -106 | 146.5 -110 / -110 | +198 |
| Georgia Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -114 | 146.5 -110 / -110 | -245 |
- Oklahoma vs Georgia spread: Georgia -5.5
- Oklahoma vs Georgia over/under: 146.5 points
- Oklahoma vs Georgia moneyline: Georgia -245, Oklahoma +198
- Oklahoma vs Georgia best bet: Georgia -5.5 (Play to -6)
Spread
I'm taking the Bulldogs on the spread.
Moneyline
I'm avoiding the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm avoiding the total.
My Pick: Georgia -5.5 (Play to -6)
Oklahoma vs Georgia College Basketball Betting Preview
The SEC is the premier basketball conference in America. Every matchup this season will feel like a heavyweight bout between two tournament-caliber teams, and this one is no different between football schools Oklahoma and Georgia.
Oklahoma began the season blistering hot, going undefeated in non-conference play, but the Sooners are winless through two SEC contests. They're coming off a heartbreaking defeat to Texas A&M in which they led by 18 points against an Aggies team that was without their best player.
Traveling to Athens never used to be much of a sweat in conference play, but this year’s Dawgs are built different. Georgia showed it’s for real with a home win over Kentucky last time out, and the Bulldog faithful are starting to pack the stands again. Georgia is in the hunt for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2015.
Coaching and talent is pretty much what it boils down to in college basketball. Oklahoma has the coaching edge in tonight’s bout, but Georgia has the better Jimmys and Joes.
Aside from talent, Georgia has one massive advantage tonight: the interior. The Bulldogs should have their way on the offensive glass and in the paint against the Sooners, who lack any semblance of rim protection.
Per KenPom, Georgia is the eighth-best offensive rebounding team in the country by rate; Oklahoma ranks 332nd in defensive rebounding rate. Texas A&M grabbed 47% of its misses against Oklahoma earlier this week, and Alabama grabbed a staggering 55%. It’s nearly impossible to win when giving up that much ground on the boards.
Per CBB Analytics, Oklahoma ranks just 213th nationally in field goal attempt rate allowed at the rim and 254th in field goal percentage allowed at the rim. Offensively, Georgia ranks 16th in field goal attempt rate at the rim and 38th in field goal percentage.
Asa Newell and Co. will be feasting near the cup all night long. The Dawgs are a physical team and can get to the foul line at a high rate – especially if tonight’s game is called as tight as the Kentucky game.
Oklahoma’s low foul rate won’t save it if the home team gets a friendly whistle; Georgia was fouled 25 times against Kentucky and shot 38 free throws.
Oklahoma failed its only true road test of the season at Alabama – its shooting was poor and its defense was a sieve. The defense doesn’t figure to be a whole lot better against a Georgia team that can overwhelm inside, but the shooting could and should improve.
Oklahoma is still one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the country. Three players shoot over 42% from deep and another — Kobe Elvis — is more than capable of catching fire.
Georgia is due for some defensive shooting regression, as the Dawgs rank 11th nationally in 3-point percentage defense, normally a stat heavily influenced by luck. Kentucky shot 6-of-25 from deep against Georgia last game, an extreme outlier.
Oklahoma scores in transition and with ball screens, but unfortunately, Georgia has been excellent at defending both this season. The Sooners will be hard-pressed to score points if their outside shots aren’t falling.
Moser is better than most coaches at picking apart mismatches, but it’s hard to find one tonight against a versatile Georgia defense. It would require a masterclass in coaching for Moser to game plan around his team’s weaknesses and emerge victorious.
This matchup is all Georgia, and the Dawgs have a new life in their home arena. While Oklahoma has its back against the wall at 0-2 in league play and should be feisty, the disadvantages are hard to ignore and will be even harder to overcome.
