The 2021 Big 12 Conference Tournament championship game unfolds on Saturday evening in Kansas City when the Texas Longhorns (18-7) take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-7) with an automatic bid to the 2021 NCAA Tournament on the line. Texas advanced after Kansas was forced to withdraw due to health and safety protocols, but the Longhorns made a statement with a win over Texas Tech earlier this week. Oklahoma State upset Baylor in the semifinals after knocking off West Virginia in back-to-back games.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET. The latest Oklahoma State vs. Texas odds from William Hill Sportsbook lists the Longhorns as three-point favorites. The over-under for total points scored is set at 144.5. Before making any Texas vs. Oklahoma State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,600 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned over $400 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Texas vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Oklahoma State vs. Texas:
- Oklahoma State vs. Texas spread: Texas -3
- Oklahoma State vs. Texas over-under: 144.5 points
- Oklahoma State vs. Texas money line: Texas -160; Oklahoma State +140
- OSU: The Cowboys have covered the spread in eight straight games
- TEX: The Longhorns are 5-3 against the spread in the last eight games
Why Oklahoma State can cover
The Cowboys are led by one of the best players in college basketball in potential NBA No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham. Cunningham produced 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the team's semifinal upset win over Baylor, and he projects as the best player on the floor in this matchup. From there, Oklahoma State is No. 2 in the Big 12 in both 2-point shooting (52.6 percent) and free-throw creation.
Texas is one of the worst teams in the country at preventing free-throw attempts defensively, and the Longhorns also have a poor turnover rate on both ends of the floor. On the defensive side, the Cowboys lead the conference in 3-point shooting allowed (32.0 percent), with top-three marks in block rate, shooting efficiency allowed and overall defensive rating. Texas could also make things easier on Oklahoma State with shaky free throw shooting, as the Longhorns are converting only 70.4 percent of their attempts at the charity stripe this season.
Why Texas can cover
Shaka Smart and the Longhorns are playing at a high level and they enter this matchup with four straight victories. Texas is a balanced, talented team, with veteran standouts like Andrew Jones at guard and a pair of potential lottery picks in the frontcourt in Greg Brown and Kai Jones. That sky-high baseline leads to top-30 national units on both offense and defense. Texas leads the Big 12 in 3-point attempt rate offensively, taking 42.2 percent of field goal attempts from long range, and that helps to give the Longhorns considerable upside.
On the opposite end, Texas leads the conference in defensive rebounding, pulling down 74.9 percent of available rebounds after forcing a missed shot by an opponent. The Longhorns are also one of the five best teams in the nation at limiting assists for their opponents, which signals effectiveness in forcing the opposition into difficult, self-created shot attempts.
How to make Oklahoma State vs. Texas picks
The model is leaning under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 144 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Oklahoma State vs. Texas? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.
