Let The Bedlam Commence
Without Marcus Smart, can Oklahoma State defeat Bedlam rival Oklahoma on Saturday?
There’s a saying that when two true rivals meet you can throw the form book out the window.
Both Oklahoma and Oklahoma State will be only too glad to wave goodbye to the form book, and the quicker the better.
The two rivals will meet in Stillwater, Okla., on Saturday for the next installment of the Bedlam series.
Tip-off at Gallagher-Iba Arena is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET.
When the two schools last met on January 27, each was ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. Now, just a little over two weeks later, both have tumbled out of the national picture and are simply looking for a win to stay afloat in the ultra-competitive Big 12 conference.
Since defeating the Cowboys 88-76, Oklahoma (18-7, 7-5 Big 12) has lost three of its last four.
On Tuesday, the Sooners were upset at home by Texas Tech, who held Lon Kruger’s side to its lowest offensive output of the year. Unlike previous road defeats to Iowa State and West Virginia, both of which were competitive games, there was no silver lining for the Sooners here.
Oklahoma will look to steady the ship on Saturday.
As bad as the last fortnight has been for Oklahoma, it’s been worse for Oklahoma State (16-8, 4-7 Big 12).
The Cowboys will enter Saturday’s Rivalry Week showdown having lost five straight and six of the last seven. Having ranked as high as fifth on the AP poll this season, the Cowboys are now in real danger of seeing their NCAA tournament hopes evaporate.
The Cowboys were soundly beaten this past Tuesday, losing 87-68 to No. 19 Texas in Austin. That game marked the first of three in which the side will be without star guard Marcus Smart, who was suspended following an altercation with a fan last weekend.
If the Cowboys are to get back into the running for a tourney berth, they’ll need to get the better of the Sooners on Saturday. That might not seem as wild a task as you think.
The two schools have always played a close game, as reflected in the head-to-head standings. Since 1979, Oklahoma leads Oklahoma State 42-32.
However, the two schools are very good at defending home court. You have to go back to January 26, 2009, to find a game in which a team won on the road in this series. Blake Griffin had a 20-point second half that game to lead the Sooners to victory.
The two schools have defended home court in 10 straight since then.
The Cowboys are also 10-2 at home this season. Granted, those two losses have come in the last two weeks, but if Travis Ford can convince his team it can win at home, this could be the game in which the Cowboys put the halters on that losing streak. Whether it’s too late to make any real difference remains to be seen.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys odds for 02/15/2014
Oklahoma (13-10-0 ATS) has had better success against the spread this season than Oklahoma State (8-12-0 ATS).
The Sooners will prove to be a threat to the spread on the road; the team is 8-3-0 ATS away from Norman this season. The Cowboys meanwhile are 6-6-0 ATS at home and have failed to cover the spread in six straight games.
The Sooners have covered the spread in four straight Bedlam meetings and six of the last seven, making them a shrewd bet.
Both Oklahoma (13-9-0) and Oklahoma State (13-7-0) have favored the over this season.
Six of the Cowboys’ last seven have seen the total go over, as have three of the Sooners’ last five.
When released, the total has gone over in four straight games between the sides and seven of the last eight, ensuring the over is a smart bet.
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