Who’s playing
Oklahoma Sooners @ Providence Friars
Current record: Oklahoma 4-0, Providence 5-0.
How to watch
What you need to know
Providence has played every game this season on its home court, but will have to play Wednesday. They will face the Oklahoma Sooners at 5 p.m. ET at Imperial Arena at the Atlantis Resort. Both teams are heading into this matchup on the back of easy wins in previous matches.
Providence enters the contest off the back of a blowout win over Delaware State last Tuesday, but some of the predictors are coming from a mile away. Providence defeated Delaware State University, winning 78-48. The looming 78-48 record stands out as the most overwhelming margin for the Flyers so far this season.
Providence’s victory was a true team effort with solid performances from many players. Perhaps the best of them was Oswin Elunmwunse, who made all six of his shots and had 13 points and six rebounds. This was a nice turnaround after Erfunmuunce struggled to find his footing last Saturday against Green Bay. The team also got some help courtesy of Cristo Essandoco, who nearly had a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds.
Providence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. This is the most offensive rebounds they have recorded since November 2023.
Meanwhile, the University of Oklahoma entered Thursday’s game on a three-game winning streak…but lost on a four-game winning streak. There was no stopping them as they easily defeated the Lions 84-56. The Sooners have a habit of sweeping opponents off the court, winning three games this season by 21 points or more.
Oklahoma’s success was the result of a balanced attack with several players stepping up, but Jeremiah Fears led the attack with 20 points on 7-for-10 at-bats, five assists, and three steals. . Glen Taylor Jr. was another key player, going 5-for-9 with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals.
Providence improved to 5-0 with the win, its fifth straight home win. As for Oklahoma State, the win improves their record to 4-0.
Rebounding will likely be a big factor in this contest. Providence has been on a roll this season, averaging 44 rebounds per game. However, it’s not like Oklahoma is struggling in this department, averaging 37 points per game. With both teams competing for missed shots, we’ll see if one team can gain the upper hand.
Providence will be hoping to beat the odds on Wednesday, as experts believe it will be headed for a loss. He will be playing as an underdog for the first time this season.
odds
Oklahoma is a slim 2.5-point favorite against Providence, according to the latest college basketball odds.
Oddsmakers were completely in line with the betting community on this matchup and stayed that way, as the game started with a 2.5 point spread.
The over-under is 134.5 points.
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Series history
The only game these two teams played last year was won by Oklahoma.
December 5, 2023 – Oklahoma 72 vs. Providence 51
