Basketball Betting Odds – Sooner vs. Jayhawks, Pacers vs. Heat, More
Carrie Stroup here with your Sooners vs. Jayhawks, Pacers vs. Heat and Grizzlies vs. Trailblazers betting odds.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS (12-0, 1-0) at KANSAS JAYHAWKS (12-1, 1-0)
Kansas -7, Total: 158
Undefeated Oklahoma visits Kansas Monday night in a battle of two of the top three teams in the nation when the polls come out Monday.
The Sooners (6-4 ATS overall, 3-2 ATS away) are a perfect 12-0 in the SU column, but they have given up a hefty 78.3 PPG during a three-game ATS losing skid, which is much greater than the 67.5 PPG they allow for the season. The Jayhawks (8-2 ATS, 4-1 ATS home) are riding an 11-game SU win streak, which includes five consecutive ATS victories by at least 13 points each.
This series has been dominated by the home team recently with six of the past seven meetings won by the host. All 11 matchups at Lawrence since 1998 have been won SU by Kansas, but Oklahoma is a nearly even 5-6 ATS during this drought.
Both schools have favorable betting trends for Monday night, as the Sooners are 16-6 ATS versus excellent teams (45%+ FG, 42% or less FG allowed) in the past three seasons, and 9-2 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 12 points under head coach Lon Kruger. But the Jayhawks are 35-15 ATS as a home favorite of 6.5 to 12 points under head coach Bill Self and they are also a perfect 6-0 ATS in the past two seasons after two straight wins by 15+ points.
The only notable injury is Oklahoma F Ryan Spangler, who injured his knee in Saturday's win, but is listed as probable for Monday.
Oklahoma is an excellent offensive team with 87.0 PPG (6th in nation) on 48.1% FG (35th in D-I) and 45.3% threes (3rd in nation). The club also leads Division-I in defensive rebounds per game (32.3) and holds a strong +7.9 RPG margin (25th in nation). The Sooners are also a good passing team with 15.8 APG (65th in D-I) and only 12.1 turnovers per game (87th in nation), but they force a paltry 11.2 turnovers per contest (311th in D-I). Although the defense allows a pedestrian 67.5 PPG (103rd in nation), it does hold opponents to a low 37.0% FG (9th in D-I) and 29.0% threes (20th in nation).
The team's biggest scoring threat is G Buddy Hield, whose 24.7 PPG ranks fourth in Division-I. Hield is shooting lights-out from everywhere at 50% FG, 49% threes (6th in nation) and 91% FT (15th in D-I) for the season, and is currently averaging an eye-popping 28.5 PPG during his past six contests where he has netted at least 22 points in all six. Hield also grabs 5.3 RPG and produces 1.4 SPG on the defensive end. Although the senior dropped 26 points in Lawrence last season, he made only 7-of-19 shots (37%) including 4-of-13 threes. The Sooners have three other double-digit scorers in G Jordan Woodard (13.9 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.8 SPG), G Isaiah Cousins (13.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.5 RPG) and F Ryan Spangler (11.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG).
Like Hield, Woodard is also deadly from anywhere on the court with shooting percentages of 48% FG, 53% threes and 90% FT (20th in nation). These numbers are way up from the 36% FG and 25% threes that Woodard produced last season, and he is coming off two huge shooting games where he's averaged 21.0 PPG on 64% FG (14-of-22) and 60% threes (6-of-10).
Cousins is a heady point guard with a sparkling 2.8 Assist/Turnover ratio this season, and has dished out at least four assists in eight straight contests. He is also an accomplished scorer with at least 10 points in 10-of-12 games this season and is knocking down a career-high 46% threes, which is much higher than his mere 40% clip from inside the arc.
Spangler not only makes 61% FG with many close-range tries, but he has also knocked down 45% of his threes (13-of-29). The 6-foot-8, 234-pound senior has already racked up five double-doubles, including a monster performance of 20 points and 12 rebounds in Saturday's win over Iowa State. Spangler also had a double-double in Lawrence last season (13 points, 10 rebounds) before posting nine points and 11 boards versus Kansas in Norman.
Kansas also has an explosive offense that generates 88.3 PPG (3rd in nation) on 51.6% FG (5th in D-I) and 46.0% threes (2nd in nation). The offense is also very efficient with 18.6 APG (13th in D-I) and only 11.1 TOPG (39th in nation), which equals a stellar 1.7 Ast/TO ratio (11th in D-I). The defense is also very strong in allowing just 65.0 PPG (52nd in nation) on 39.1% FG (45th in D-I) and 31.0% threes (66th in nation), and the Jayhawks help themselves greatly with 8.5 steals per game (27th in D-I) and 15.8 forced turnovers per game (37th in nation).
Rebounding is also strong at +5.9 RPG (52nd in D-I), but the team has produced only 10.5 offensive RPG (217th in nation).
Like Oklahoma, Kansas has four main scorers it relies on with G Wayne Selden Jr. (15.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.0 SPG), F Perry Ellis (15.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG), G Frank Mason III (13.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, 4.0 RPG, 1.8 SPG) and G Devonte' Graham (10.5 PPG, 3.5 APG, 1.9 SPG). Selden has been unbelievable from long range this season in making 55% threes (3rd in nation), which is way up from his 37% clip from last season. The junior is coming off a huge 24-point, 5-rebound, 4-assist performance in Saturday's blowout of Baylor, but had major trouble scoring versus Oklahoma last season with only five points on 2-of-16 shooting in the two meetings.
The senior Ellis has made 53% of his shots this season, which is a huge improvement from the 46% clip from last season. He has scored at least a dozen points in eight straight games and has made at least half of his shots in four consecutive contests.
The junior Mason has a career-high 48% FG clip and is riding a streak of three straight double-figure scoring games, while Graham has been outstanding in running the offense with a 5.0 Assist/Turnover ratio this season (6th in nation). The sophomore has 10 assists and only one turnover in the past three games combined.
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES (18-17) at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (15-21)
Memphis -2, Total: 193
The Blazers will be looking to stay hot when they host the Grizzlies on Monday.
The Grizzlies went into Utah on Saturday and came away with a 92-87 loss as two-point road favorites. Memphis had won-and-covered in its previous two games before the loss, but the team has not been playing well recently. The Grizzlies have lost seven of their past 12 games and need to start playing better soon.
The Blazers have won-and-covered in four of their past five games. They played the Nuggets in Denver on Sunday and won the game 112-106 as 1.5-point road favorites. Portland was scorching hot in that game, shooting 50.6% from the field. The team should be happy if it shoots anywhere close to that well against Memphis.
These two teams have now met twice on the season and the home team has won each game SU, but Portland has covered in both meetings. The Grizzlies are 11-3 SU and 9-4 ATS when facing the Blazers over the past three seasons.
The trends do not favor Memphis, though, as the Blazers are 3-0 ATS versus teams that force 16 or more turnovers per game this season. They are also 8-3 ATS versus teams that are outscored by their opponents by three or more points per game on the year.
With PG Mike Conley (15.2 PPG, 5.9 APG, 1.3 SPG) questionable, PG Mario Chalmers (9.2 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 SPG) will likely be in for a bigger role at the very least. Chalmers is averaging 10.3 PPG and 4.0 APG over the past three games and would be more than ready to hold down the fort if Conley has to miss this one. He is a solid defender and is capable of hitting outside shots, so he is a good fit for this Memphis team.
C Marc Gasol (16.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.2 BPG) will be needed as a distributor a bit more against the Blazers. He has played very well against them this season, averaging 23.0 PPG in the two meetings between these teams. He will be asked to run the offense from the high post if Conley can’t play in this one.
SF Matt Barnes (8.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.2 SPG) should provide a spark for Memphis after sitting the past two contests with a suspension. Barnes has played very well as an undersized power forward this season and the Grizzlies have missed his ability to stretch the floor and guard multiple positions.
The Blazers have been without PG Damian Lillard (24.6 PPG, 6.8 APG, 4.5 RPG) for seven games and he is questionable to play in this one. Stepping up for Portland has been SG C.J. McCollum (21.1 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.2 SPG), who is pretty much a lock to win Most Improved Player this season. Over the past five games, McCollum is averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, 5.6 RPG and 1.2 SPG for Portland. He is shooting 51.9% from the field and 42.9% from the outside in those contests and should be able to light up a Memphis team that he has averaged 23.0 PPG against this season.
C Mason Plumlee (9.3 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.0 BPG) and PF Meyers Leonard (8.9 PPG, 4.9 RPG) will both need to be ready to play on Monday. The Grizzlies have one of the best big men in the league with Marc Gasol and the two of them will spend plenty of time covering him. They will need to hold their own defensively and it’d be a major plus if Leonard can get it going offensively. He’s averaging 12.8 PPG on 50.0% shooting from the field and 54.2% shooting from the outside over the past five games. The team is at its best when he is knocking down threes and spreading the floor.
INDIANA PACERS (19-14) at MIAMI HEAT (20-13)
Miami -2.5, Total: 193
The Heat will be going for their third straight victory when they host the Pacers on Monday.
The Pacers hosted the Pistons on Saturday and came away with a 94-82 victory as 4.5-point favorites. Indiana desperately needed a win, as the team had lost two straight games and five of its past seven heading into the meeting with Detroit.
The Heat, meanwhile, defeated the Wizards 97-75 as one-point road favorites on Sunday. Miami has won-and-covered in two straight and four of its past six heading into Monday. The team has also held back-to-back opponents to under 40% shooting from the field.
The Heat have been dominant against the Pacers at home in recent years, going 6-1 SU and 4-3 ATS at American Airlines Arena over the past three seasons. The Pacers are, however, 9-7 SU and 10-6 ATS versus the Heat overall in the past three seasons and have shown that they can beat the Heat already this season. Indiana is 2-0 both SU and ATS versus Miami this season, but both of those games were at home.
The trends in this game favor the Pacers heavily, as Indiana is 16-6 ATS against Southeast Division opponents over the past two seasons and Miami is just 3-16 ATS off a road win in that span.
The Pacers are looking to improve to 3-0 against the Heat this season with a win on Monday and SF Paul George (24.5 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.7 SPG) is on fire for Indiana lately. George is averaging 31.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG over the past two contests and he is doing it on 17-for-31 shooting from the field. George is making a living at the line as well, going 20-for-23 from the charity stripe over the past two contests. If he can continue to draw fouls and play this efficiently then the Pacers are going to be very tough to beat. It doesn’t hurt that he’ll be facing a Miami team that he is averaging 29.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG against this season.
Another player that has recently caught fire for Indiana is PG George Hill (12.4 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.5 SPG). Hill is averaging 17.7 PPG over the past three contests and can really help the Pacers on Monday. He’ll need to knock down his open shots and play some solid defense on Goran Dragic too.
One x-factor for the Pacers in this game could be PF Lavoy Allen (5.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG). Allen is playing 26.8 MPG over the past five contests and averaging 7.2 PPG and 6.4 RPG in those games. The Heat have a number of talented big men and Indiana will need Allen to bang in the post with some of them.
The Heat are playing very well lately and a lot of that has to do with PG Goran Dragic (11.9 PPG, 5.3 APG, 1.1 SPG) finding his game. Dragic is averaging 16.0 PPG and 5.2 APG over the past five contests and he is a remarkable 22-for-36 from the field over the past three games. If he can continue to be effective scoring the basketball then the Heat are going to be a tough team to beat when the postseason rolls around.
With Dragic playing well, SG Dwyane Wade (18.3 PPG, 4.5 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG) has not been under a ton of pressure to score. He is averaging just 9.0 PPG over the past two contests and while the Heat did win in those games, the team will need him to be better moving forward. He had 20 points the last time he faced the Pacers, and could be in for a good performance in this one.
PF Chris Bosh (18.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG) has shot the ball extremely well recently for Miami. He is averaging 21.8 PPG with 8.2 RPG on 52.6% shooting from the field and 61.5% shooting from the outside over the past fine contests. He is looking really confident and Dragic’s improvement offensively is allowing him to find more space on the floor to knock down jumpers.
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
