NCAA Basketball Free Pick – Wednesday, February 16, 2011
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Oklahoma State (16-8, 4-6 Big 12) at #2 Texas (22-3, 10-05 Big 12)
Date/Time: Wednesday, February 16, 2011, 9:00 PM EST
Venue: Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX.
Broadcast: ESPN2
Money Line: OFF
Spread: Texas -15
Over/Under: 130
With a loss by Kansas against in-state rival Kansas State on Monday night, the Texas Longhorns are on upset-alert as the Oklahoma State Cowboys come calling in a Big 12 matchup on Wednesday in Austin.
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This game features to have less off-court emotional issues as the previous meeting back in January in Stillwater. That game was played marking the 10-year anniversary of the 2001 plane crash, which killed ten people that had ties to the OSU basketball program. This time around, the emotions will still run high but for different reasons.
The Longhorns are currently ranked second in the country, and know that if they win this game and then on Saturday at Nebraska that they will likely ascend to the top spot. One main reason the Longhorns continue to produce results for Rick Barnes is because of their balanced scoring.
Four Texas players are averaging more than ten points per game, and are led by the shooting of Jordan Hamilton. The sophomore swingman from Los Angeles leads the club with 18.9 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and a gaudy 41.1 percent from three-point range. Hamilton is third in the Big 12 in scoring.
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Tristan Thompson is next on the club at 12.8 points per contest. The freshman scored 14 points in the earlier matchup with the Cowboys, of which came after halftime. The other Longhorns currently averaging double figures in scoring per game are: Gary Johnson at 11.8 PPG and Cory Joseph at 11 points even. Texas is also doing an effective job on the boards, averaging 41 rebounds per contest, which is sixth best in the nation.
For the Cowboys, its crunch time for them to make their case to the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Oklahoma State has seven games left before the Big 12 Conference Tournament. Things looked promising when they started the season 13-2 in the second season under head coach Travis Ford.
But OSU has struggled in conference play, posting a 4-6 record entering Wednesday’s action. With many projecting a maximum of six teams from the league being selected for March madness, the Cowboys are squarely one of the bubble teams.
Three players are averaging double digits in scoring per game for Oklahoma State: Marshall Moses leads the way with 14.9 per game; Keiton Page is second at 14.1, but was shut out in the last meeting with Texas; and JP Olukemi is at 12 points per game.
The odds makers have the Texas Longhorns as a -15 point favorite with an over/under of 130.
Matt’s Free Pick: Texas – The Cowboys should do better behind the arch this time around, going just 1-for-10 from long distance in the first meeting. But the Longhorns have too much talent and should pull away in the second half.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys Betting Trends:
- Oklahoma State is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games on the road
- Oklahoma State is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Oklahoma State’s last 7 games on the road
- Oklahoma State is 1-6-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Texas
Texas Longhorns Betting Trends:
- Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Texas’s last 5 games
- Texas is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Texas’s last 5 games at home
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