The Oklahoma Sooners and the East Carolina Pirates meet in college basketball action from The HTC Center on Thursday night.
The Oklahoma Sooners will be looking to build on a 96-44 rout of UTSA in their last game. Tanner Groves leads the Sooners in scoring with 18 PPG along with 7 RPG while Umoja Gibson ha 11.5 PPG and Jalen Hill has 10.5 PPG and a team-high 9.5 RPG to lead the Sooners on the glass and cap off the trio of Sooners scoring in double figures so far this season. Jordan Goldwire also has a team-high 4.5 APG as well this season for the Sooners. As a team, Oklahoma is averaging 86.5 PPG on 56.8% shooting from the field, 39.2% from three and 47.8% from the foul line while allowing 51.5 PPG on 32.5% from three and 22.9% from three this season.
The East Carolina Pirates will be looking to build on a 95-79 win over Western Carolina in their last matchup. Tristen Newton leads the Pirates in scoring with 19.7 PPG along with 5 RPG and 4.7 APG while Brandon Suggs has 11 PPG and Tremont Robinson-White and Brandon Johnson each have 10 PPG with Johnson logging a team-high 8.7 RPG while Robinson-White leads the Pirates in assists with 6 APG as well this season. As a team, East Carolina is averaging 82.7 PPG on 43% shooting from the field, 32.8% from three and 76.1% from the foul line while allowing 70.7 PPG on 36.3% shooting from the field and 35.1% from three this season.
Oklahoma is 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games overall and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a win while the over is 4-0 in their last 4 neutral site games. East Carolina is 5-13 ATS in their last 18 games overall and 1-4 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games while the under is 10-1 in their last 11 Thursday games.
I get the case that could be made both ways here, but realistically, I’m going to take a shot on East Carolina and the points. Oklahoma has not been a reliable cover team whatsoever dating back to last year and it’s not like they have a marquee win that’s that much better than anything East Carolina’s put forth. Sure, the Sooners suffocated UTSA, but the Roadrunners are in a rebuild. East Carolina’s had some solid performances early on and I’m not trying to pass up this many points. Give me the Pirates here.