It is a loaded Tuesday of college basketball with plenty of high-profile matchups across the slate. Tipping off at 9:00 p.m. ET, the Auburn Tigers will face off with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Looking at the odds, Auburn enters as a narrow 1.5-point favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, and the game total is set at 161.5 points.
Auburn at Oklahoma preview
The Auburn Tigers hold a 15-12 record on the season, and they have gone 6-8 in SEC Conference play. They are looking to build off the momentum of a 75-74 victory over Kentucky in their last game, which snapped a five-game losing streak. On the season, Auburn is 12-15 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 15 of its 27 games played.
Keyshawn Hall headlines the production for the Tigers, averaging 20.6 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 40.3% from beyond the three-point arc. After flirting with remaining in the NBA Draft, Tahaad Pettiford made his return to Auburn for the year. He is averaging 14.7 points and 3.6 assists, despite some shooting struggles. Kevin Overton and KeShawn Murphy also average in double figures, while Elyjah Freeman, Sebastian Williams-Adams, Filip Jovic and Kaden Magwood round out most of the notable rotation.
As a team, Auburn is averaging 83.7 points per game, which ranks 34th in the country. It ranks 32nd in offensive rating, 167th in team field-goal percentage and 229th in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Tigers are allowing 79.3 points per game, which ranks 317th out of the 365 qualifying D1 teams. The Tigers also rank 317th in defensive rating, 272nd in opponent field-goal percentage and 318th in opponent three-point percentage.
The Oklahoma Sooners are 13-14 on the season and have slipped to 3-11 in SEC play. They are coming off back-to-back losses against Tennessee and Texas A&M and have dropped 11 of their last 13. On the season, Oklahoma has gone 9-18 against the spread, and the game total is 14-13 to the over/under.
Nijel Pack headlines the production for the Sooners, posting averages of 15.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists while leading the SEC with a 44.1% three-point percentage. Xzayvier Brown adds 15.5 points, 3.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds alongside him in the backcourt. Tae Davis and Derrion Reid each also average in double figures and combine for 10.5 rebounds per game. Kuol Atak, Mohamed Wague and Dayton Forsythe each also play notable roles in the rotation.
Porter Moser’s squad is scoring 82.3 points per game, which ranks 54th in the country. Oklahoma also ranks 37th in offensive rating, 125th in field-goal percentage and 74th in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 78.0 points per game against the Sooners, which ranks 294th in the country. They also rank 312th in offensive rating, 243rd in opponent field-goal percentage and 237th in opponent three-point percentage.
Auburn at Oklahoma pick, best bet
Neither of these teams is thrilled with their outlook on the season, and each feels as if the talent on the roster has not been fully maximized. My lean is toward Auburn getting the outright result and covering the narrow spread. However, I am backing the game total to go over the 161.5-point total.
Both these teams have some significant defensive concerns, and the level of offensive talent to capitalize on these. Auburn is allowing 79.3 points per game on average, and it has allowed 80+ points in five of its last seven. Most concerning in this matchup, the Tigers rank 256th in opponent three-point attempts allowed and 318th in opponent three-point percentage. Facing an Oklahoma team that shoots the 47th-most three-point attempts and ranks 74th in perimeter efficiency, this will be a concern. The Sooners have attempted 20+ three-pointers in all but one game this season and 30+ in 10 matchups. Nijel Pack and his 44.1% three-point percentage will be especially dangerous in this area.
On the other side of the matchup, expect Auburn to have some success rebounding the basketball, and for this to pave the way to some putback opportunities. Oklahoma ranks 139th in rebounds per game and 218th in opponent rebounds allowed. In contrast, Auburn ranks 97th in rebounds per game, 14th in offensive rebounds per game and 89th in opponent rebounds allowed. Count on Keyshawn Hall asserting himself on the interior and producing baskets throughout. The Sooners have allowed 89+ points in three of their last five games.
Expect both these teams to look to push the pace and get shots up in a hurry. Neither has displayed a consistent ability to limit opponents’ scoring, and both should have success putting the ball in the basket. Oklahoma has scored 85+ in 13 of its 27 games played and Auburn has scored 83+ in 15 of its 27 games. Each of these teams has a path to cracking 90 points and count on the game total to surpass the 161.5 line.
