2 Best College Basketball Bets and Player Props for Oklahoma vs. UConn

The Oklahoma Sooners and Connecticut Huskies will meet up on Friday at 9:25 p.m. ET in an 8-versus-9 matchup.

The two-time defending national champs have hit their fair share of lows this season. Can UConn turn the jets back on in March, or will Oklahoma end the Huskies' chances of a three-peat?

To see thoughts on other games, check out our full men's college basketball tournament predictions page. But for Oklahoma vs. UConn, here are my favorite bets in FanDuel Sportsbook's college basketball betting odds.

Betting Picks for Oklahoma vs. UConn

Oklahoma +5.5 (-115)

UConn is getting plenty of love from the market. It makes total sense given their tournament history as a program as well as their recent success under Dan Hurley. I personally like their chances to advance to the Round of 32.

But the Sooners are getting 5.5 points, which is too kind of an offer to turn down.

The Huskies fare 34th on KenPom's net ratings with a 14th-ranked adjusted offense and 95th-ranked adjusted defense. The Sooners are hardly behind them with the 38th net rating by way of a 22nd-ranked offense and 70th-ranked defense.

Oklahoma's pristine 13-0 start to the season quickly came tumbling down in the new year. From January to February 18th, they posted a disheartening 3-10 record. However, they've gained some steam heading into the tournament, picking up wins over Mississippi State and Missouri. They also kept their last three losses (Ole Miss, Kentucky twice) within three points.

Jeremiah Fears is coming off games where he scored 28 and 29 points, and he has a special ability to get to the foul line, netting 10.3 free-throw attempts across his last four. No team in this tournament coughs up a higher free-throw rate than UConn does. Fears surely knows he needs to exploit that and could force a few key Huskies into foul trouble.

KenPom and BartTorvik both see UConn winning this game but by no more than two points.

Jeremiah Fears to Score 20+ Points (+102)

Given the close spread and the way Fears has been performing, we should expect him to play a ton of minutes in this one.

Notably, Fears is averaging 20.7 points when he's played at least 30 minutes. Moreover, he's averaging 22.6 points across his last eight, reaching at least 20 points in five of those contests.

He's come out strong against stiff competition, averaging 22.6 points and scoring at least 20 at a 69.0% clip against the top-50 teams on KenPom. Add in UConn's tendency to surrender free throws -- something the Sooners will undoubtedly look to exploit -- and Fears is in line for a decent showing.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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Which bets stand out to you for today's games? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's latest men's college basketball betting odds to see the full menu of options.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.