NCAAB: Oklahoma vs. Texas odds, preview, and pick

Two teams known for their intense rivalry on the football field take to the basketball court on Tuesday, Jan. 26 in a matchup that may go a long ways in deciding Big 12 and NCAA tournament seeding at the end of the regular season.

The No. 5 Texas Longhorns head to Norman to take on the Oklahoma Sooners, with both teams looking to continue their impressive seasons with a statement win.

The secret to Texas' success has been balance

The Longhorns are 11-2 on the season and 5-1 in the Big 12, putting them in second place behind the Baylor Bears. They are led on offense by guard Andrew Jones, who averages 14.4 points per game. Jones is complemented by three other players that average double-digits per game in Courtney Ramey, Matt Coleman III, and Greg Brown.

Brown is just a freshman and averages barely over 21 minutes per game, but at 6'9" he also scoops up eight rebounds per contest. He has performed better at home than on the road, but is the kind of athletic forward that head coach Shaka Smart made a name for himself with at VCU.

The Longhorns may have some rust to shake off

The Longhorns are ranked fifth in the country, with their only losses coming in narrow defeats against Villanova and Texas Tech. They are certainly a team that could easily be undefeated, and check in eighth in KenPom’s overall efficiency rankings.

Unfortunately for Texas, due to COVID-19 protocols and positive cases, they have not played since Jan. 16, and the roster has not been given the customary time to play together recently.

The Sooners are on a hot streak

The Oklahoma Sooners, meanwhile, are 9-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big 12, but enter on a three-game winning streak including an impressive victory last Saturday against perennial conference champion, Kansas. Lon Kruger is a well-respected coach in the college game, and has turned what could be called an unimpressive roster on paper into a dangerous challenger in the Big 12.

The Sooners are led by guard Austin Reaves, a 6’5” senior from Newark, Arkansas, who leads the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game. Reaves doesn’t shoot the three well, but he’s a solid free throw shooter and does a nice job of running Kruger’s offense.

Kruger’s team is deep, with nine players averaging at least thirteen minutes per game. Sophomore De’Vion Harmon is the team's dynamic scoring threat, and has excelled over the Sooners’ recent three-game win streak, scoring 22, 16, and 22 points.

Expect a grind

The Longhorns are the more imposing and athletic team, but they might also be out of rhythm from so much time off. Oklahoma, meanwhile, is an underrated squad, with a top 20 offense that is fully hitting its stride. The Sooners will narrowly pull off the upset.

Score prediction: Oklahoma 75, Texas 73

Pick: Oklahoma