Oklahoma vs Arkansas Basketball Prediction & Picks: Can the Sooners run with the Razorbacks?

Will one of the most dangerous offensive teams in college basketball be able to break down one of the nation’s best defensive teams? We’ll find out this afternoon as Arkansas meets future SEC foe Oklahoma at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is the second straight year that the two teams are meeting in Tulsa. Last December, the unranked Sooners routed the #12 Razorbacks 88-66 thanks to some scorching three-point shooting (13 of 22) and holding the Hogs to 29.2 percent shooting from three and 34.4 percent overall from the field.

Will we see a similar upset this year, or will the Razorbacks turn the tables on the Sooners? Read on for our Oklahoma vs Arkansas prediction, as well as our picks for today’s tilt in Tulsa.

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Oklahoma Sooners vs Arkansas Razorbacks Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners (7-2) vs #9 Arkansas Razorbacks (8-1)
• Venue & Location: BOK Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
• Date: Saturday, December 10, 2022
• Game Time: 1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm local time)
• How to Watch Oklahoma vs Arkansas: ESPN2

Oklahoma vs Arkansas Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Saturday, December 10, 2022, at 7:10 am ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended sportsbooks.

Spread

• Arkansas -3.5 (-118)
• Oklahoma +3.5 (-104)

Over/Under

• Over 132.5 (-114)
• Under 132.5 (-106)

Moneyline

• Arkansas -182
• Oklahoma +150

Razorbacks Look to Bounce Back Without Brazile

After throttling San Jose State 99-58 last Saturday, Arkansas had an unexpectedly tough time with UNC Greensboro in a 65-58 win over Tuesday.

In failing to reach the 70-point mark for the first time this season, the Hogs were held to 33.3 percent (18 of 54) shooting overall and made just 3 of 18 (16.7 percent) from three.

Along with leading scorer Ricky Council IV going only 1 of 7 from the field, the Razorbacks lost forward Trevon Brazile to a season-ending ACL tear in the first half.

But after trailing by as many as 12 in the first half and by as many as seven in the second half, Arkansas was able to rally for the win.

Making 26 of 33 free throws helped, and so did big games from fabulous freshman Nick Smith Jr., who had 22 points, and Makhi Mitchell, who had 13 points, 14 rebounds, and four blocks.

Losing Brazile, who finishes this season averaging 11.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.2 BPG, is a big, big blow. Along with being the team’s leading rebounder, the 6’10’’ Missouri transfer was their second-leading three-point shooter behind Anthony Black.

But Eric Musselman has assembled some solid depth, and offensive production should not be an area of concern even after Tuesday’s struggles.

Brazile was one of seven players averaging at least 18 minutes per game and 6.3 points per game, and that includes future lottery pick Smith, who was on the floor for 39 minutes against UNC Greensboro after scoring 16 points in 24 minutes against San Jose State in his first extensive taste of action this season.

Can the Sooners Score Enough to Keep Up?

Last Saturday, the Sooners let a big opportunity slip away at Villanova. They led by six with 6:41 left but were outscored 17-7 the rest of the way in a 70-66 loss.

They bounced back from that disappointment by shooting 57.8 percent from the field in a win 75-53 win over Missouri-Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Sooners are one of the best defensive teams in the country, allowing an average of 57.9 points per game.

But it’s going to take a lot to keep the Razorbacks under 70 for a second straight game, and if OU does need to score to keep up, Grant Sherfield is going to have to lead the way again.

His shooting was key to giving them a chance to beat Villanova, as he made 6 of 8 from three in a 21-point showing, and he followed that up by making 5 of 6 from outside and scoring 24 points in Tuesday’s win over the Roos.

The Nevada transfer is second in the nation in three-point shooting, with only Western Kentucky’s Luke Frampton (62.2 percent) topping Sherfield’s 55.6 percent.

If Sherfield can continue his hot shooting, Oklahoma could be in this one all the way. But if he is off the mark, Arkansas will likely win comfortably.

Oklahoma vs Arkansas Prediction and Picks

Oklahoma vs Arkansas Prediction: Arkansas to win

Oklahoma vs Arkansas Picks: Arkansas to cover & Oklahoma/Arkansas over

Arkansas had some major turnover from last season to this season, with guard Davonte Davis the only player who was a regular both last season and this season. But Porter Moser knows how to handle his opposite number’s desired style, and a repeat upset for Oklahoma wouldn’t be a surprise.

But I expect Arkansas to pull out the win in Tulsa. A lack of offense outside of Sherfield hurt the Sooners against Villanova, and it will hurt them against the Razorbacks.

Even if Sherfield has a big game, not enough is coming from the supporting cast to make me feel like the Sooners can win if Arkansas scores even 70-75 points. Can someone step up with 15+ points in addition to 20+ for Sherfield? I’m not confident.

That first half against UNC Greensboro couldn’t have been much uglier for Arkansas, but after scoring just 21 points in the first 20 minutes, they scored 44 in the final 20 minutes. That is encouraging for a team that is still learning and growing together in real game action and when they saw one of their most important players go down early in the game.

Even if it takes a little while to get going against the Sooners, I expect that the Razorbacks will eventually and avoid falling victim to another upset in Tulsa.

Where can you find the best value for the above picks? You can’t go wrong with any of our recommended sportsbooks, but at the time of writing, BetOnline Sportsbook has Arkansas at -3.5 and the total at 132.5.

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