The No. 1-ranked team in college basketball, the Arizona Wildcats, hosts the Oklahoma State Cowboys at 4:00 p.m. ET. Arizona enters this game with a perfect 22-0 record while being 9-0 in the Big 12, while Oklahoma State is 16-6 and 4-5 in conference play. The Wildcats are 4-0 against the Cowboys, but this is the first matchup between the two teams in Tucson, Arizona, at McKale Center.
Check out my best bet for today’s Oklahoma State-Arizona matchup below.
Oklahoma State vs. Arizona (4:00 p.m. ET)
Arizona is off to a remarkable start to the season and has continued to display its dominance in the Big 12. This season, the Wildcats are 12-0 on their home floor and have won 11 of 12 at McKale by at least 25 points. Arizona has a ton of veterans who are key contributors, such as Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas, and Tobe Awaka, but their best two players have been star freshmen Brayden Burries and Koa Peat.
Burries is leading the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game and has recorded 17-plus points in four of his previous five games. Peat averages 14.8 points, 5.,6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per contest. In their previous game, Peat had his fourth 20-point performance of the season against Arizona State. On KenPom, Arizona is ranked No. 2 overall with the second-best defensive rating and fourth-best offensive rating. Oklahoma State is 54th with an 89th-ranked defensive rating and 56th-ranked offensive rating.
The Cowboys are coming off a big victory over the BYU Cougars, but lost their previous two ranked Big 12 matchups before that. Oklahoma State’s best player, Anthony Roy, is on a terrific stretch, scoring 30 and 26 points in his last two games. But throughout the season, Oklahoma State has lacked consistency, scoring at least 90 points only once in Big 12 play. On offense, it is closer, as Arizona averages three more points per game than Oklahoma State. But on defense, it is a different story as Arizona allows 12 fewer points per contest.
With Bradley and Burries, Arizona has the guards to contain Roy defensively in this matchup. If they can do that while being aggressive on offense and getting everyone involved, a big victory is possible. Although the spread is big, it is a testament to how far above the competition Arizona currently is. Arizona has one of the best home court advantages in college basketball and has won its last two games at home by at least 20 points.
