The Oklahoma Sooners look to keep rolling on Saturday when they visit Philadelphia to take on the Villanova Wildcats in a Big East-Big 12 Battle men’s college basketball game. The Sooners (6-1) have won six straight since a one-point loss in their opener. They come off a 59-55 victory against Ole Miss at the ESPN Events Invitational last Sunday in Kissimmee, Fla. The Rebels entered that game unbeaten. The Wildcats (2-5) are struggling in their first season after the retirement of longtime coach Jay Wright. They have lost four straight, most recently a 74-67 setback to Oregon at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Ore. The teams have met twice in their history, both in the 2015-16. The Sooners won the regular-season meeting 78-55 before the Wildcats demolished OU 95-51 in the Final Four on their way to the national title.
Tip-off at the Wells Fargo Center is set for 12:30 p.m. ET. The Villanova are a 2.5-point favorite in the latest Oklahoma vs. Villanova odds at Caesars Sportsbook, while the Over/Under for total points scored is set at 125. Before you make any Villanova vs. Oklahoma picks, be sure you check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated more than $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anybody who has followed it has seen profitable returns.
Now, the model has broken down the Oklahoma vs. Villanova matchup from every angle and locked in its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball odds and betting lines for Villanova vs. Oklahoma:
- Oklahoma vs. Villanova spread: Wildcats -2.5
- Oklahoma vs. Villanova over-under: 125 points
- Oklahoma vs. Villanova money line: Sooners +120, Wildcats -140
- OKLA: The Sooners were 3-8 SU (5-6 ATS) in away games last season
- VILL: The Wildcats went 12-1 SU (7-6 ATS) in home games in 2021-22
- Oklahoma vs. Villanova picks: See picks here
Featured Game | Villanova Wildcats vs. Oklahoma Sooners
Why the Wildcats can cover
Villanova is still bringing in top talent, and coach Kyle Neptune is working to get the team on the same page. The Wildcats won national titles in 2016 and 2018 and were back in the Final Four last season. They are 1-6 against the spread and are struggling to prevent teams from scoring, but they average 70.4 points per game. Oklahoma scores 65.7 per game but was held to 59 in their most recent game. The Wildcats are led by forward Eric Dixon, who averages 17.6 points and 6.4 rebounds, and guard Caleb Daniels averages 17.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Villanova has struggled with expectations and a new coach, but they have the talent. The losses of Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels and injuries have them off to a slow start. Still, Dixon, Daniels and forward Brandon Slater (11.7 points, 6.0 rebounds) form a strong core. Daniels hits 37 percent from 3-point range and Dixon hits 36 percent. Guard Mark Armstrong is averaging 4.3 points in 15 minutes per game, but big things are expected from the freshman. Villanova went 11-4 straight-up and 9-6 against the spread in non-conference games last season.
Why the Sooners can cover
Oklahoma has covered the spread in four of its past five, winning by an average of 10.5 points during their win streak. Guard Grant Sherfield has been leading the way. He is averaging 15.6 points and five assists while shooting 45.3 percent from 3-point range. The senior spent the past two seasons at Nevada, averaging almost 19 points and more than six assists. Forward Tanner Groves averages almost 11 points and more than seven rebounds and blocks 1.4 shots per game. He averaged more than 17 points for Eastern Washington in 2020-21 before transferring.
Jacob Groves, who came from EWU along with brother Tanner, and fellow forward Jalen Hill both average 8.6 points. Coach Porter Moser took over for Lon Kruger before last season, coming off a successful stint at Loyola-Chicago that included a 2018 Final Four run and a 2021 Sweet Sixteen appearance. The Sooners are 22-20 against the spread since he took over, 15-9 ATS after a victory. They went 19-16 in his first season, finishing seventh in the Big 12 at 7-11. The Sooners allow 56.9 points per game (T-15 in Division I) while Villanova allows 71 (T-232).
How to make Oklahoma vs. Villanova picks
SportsLine’s model has scrutinized the Villanova vs. Oklahoma matchup and revealed its picks. It is leaning over on the point total, with the model projecting nearly 140 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Oklahoma vs. Villanova on Saturday? And which side of the spread hits well over 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of Villanova vs. Oklahoma you should be backing Sunday, all from the advanced model up more than $1,500 on its top-rated college basketball picks over the past five seasons, and find out.
