The Central Arkansas Bears and the Oklahoma Sooners meet Saturday in college basketball action from Lloyd Noble Center. Central Arkansas is 5-5 overall this year. The Bears lost to Oral Roberts in their last game. As for Oklahoma, they’re 7-3 and coming off a loss to Arkansas. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.
Central Arkansas went 1-1 over their first two games and since then the team has alternated wins with losses. The losses so far for the bears have come to Niagara, Northwestern State, Loyola IL and Oral Roberts.
In the Oral Roberts matchup, the Bears were outpaced 54-39 in the first half and 57-39 in the second for a rough 111-78 defeat. Leading team scorer Eddy Kayouloud put up 20 points, and Camren Hunter put up 19 points.
Over on the Oklahoma side, they’ve fallen to Sam Houston State, Villanova and Arkansas so far. Otherwise it’s been wins over AR-Pine Bluff, UNC Wilmington, South Alabama, Nebraska, Seton Hall, Ole Miss and UMKC.
Last Saturday versus Arkansas, Oklahoma was within three points going into the second half. The Sooners couldn’t keep it going and lost 88-78. Grant Sherfield topped the team on 23 points with three assists.
PICK: I’ll probably stay with Oklahoma here. The Sooners are coming off a pretty decent effort against a very talented Razorbacks team. Oklahoma shot 57.1 percent from the field in that one with 7-of-15 (46.7 percent) from 3-point range and a 27-25 rebounding advantage. Trouble is, Arkansas shot a scorching 59.3 percent from the field themselves. That said, Oklahoma is generally looking pretty good in comparable and favorable matchups this year. Central Arkansas probably won’t be able to hang around for too long.