The Connecticut Huskies tip off their defense of the national title tonight, and no one seemingly cares. A troublesome season left UConn sputtering through the Big East, and the Huskies backed into a No. 8 seed in the South Region, setting up a date with the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners.
Despite a down year, you can’t count out Connecticut. That’s where you’ll find my best Oklahoma vs. UConn predictions and March Madness picks for Friday, March 21. Who will win Oklahoma vs UConn? The seeding matchup calls for a close one, with oddsmakers leaning toward the Huskies. The outright odds give UConn a 69% implied win probability against the Sooners on Friday. I also believe in the defending champs to advance.
My best bet: UConn -5 (-110 at bet365) Laying the points with the UConn Huskies was one of my first bets of the NCAA Tournament. Not only does Dan Hurley’s squad know exactly how to win come tourney time, but it’s drawn a very advantageous matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Connecticut is one of the biggest teams in the land, ranked 48th in height, and utilizes that size advantage with a bruising interior attack. The Huskies sit 28th in effective field goal rate, dominating foes inside for almost 36 points in the paint per game.
It doesn’t end there. UConn bangs on the boards, snatching 9.7 offensive rebounds an outing and flipping those extra possessions into 12.7 second-chance points per game. Oklahoma, on the other hand, has been tossed around by bigger opponents all season.
The Sooners don’t have the same size and that’s manifested into some glaring defensive issues when taking on towering teams. They’re getting bullied inside, with opponents shooting 54.9% on 2-point field goal attempts while hemorrhaging 33 points in the paint against. Oklahoma is also soft on the glass, watching foes scoop up 9.7 offensive rebounds for 11.2 second-chance points an outing.
With the Huskies able to do what they want on offense around the rim, it slows things down considerably for the Sooners’ attack. Oklahoma is among the better transition offenses in the country (No. 8 at ShotQualityBets), but because it will start a good chunk of possessions after a UConn basket, it gives the hulking Huskies time to get back on defense and set up an impenetrable halfcourt resistance (No. 8).
From there coach Hurley will set his defensive sights on OU freshman star Jeremiah Fears, who is the engine of this Sooners offense. The 6-foot-4 speedster thrives in the open court and is among the leaders in fastbreak points in the SEC. UConn counters that with a methodical pace that puts this game in sand, and the Huskies allow only 7.6 fastbreak points per contest.
The game models call for a closer finish than the oddsmakers suggest, and OU could hang around for the first half. But the more the Huskies hulk out inside, the slower the game gets, and the quicker the Sooners will start to wear down.
The Huskies go hard in the paint and punish a soft Sooners interior on both ends. Oklahoma won’t be able to get in gear against a methodical UConn team that puts OU’s attack in sand. Solo Ball will battle inside and out — along with some putbacks on the offensive glass — to score 15 points or more.
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Oklahoma vs UConn live odds Oklahoma vs UConn opening odds - Spread: Oklahoma +4.5 | UConn -4.5 - Moneyline: Oklahoma +168 | UConn -198 - Over/Under: Over 146.5 | Under 146.5 Odds courtesy of bet365 Oklahoma vs UConn betting trend to know Connecticut is 12-2 SU and ATS under Dan Hurley in the NCAA Tournament since he took over as head coach in 2018.
How to watch Oklahoma vs UConn | Region | West | | Location | Lenovo Center, Raleigh, NC | | Date | Friday, 3-21-2025 | | Tip-off | 7:25 p.m. ET | | TV | TNT | Oklahoma vs UConn key injuries Not intended for use in MA.
The University of Connecticut will open its hunt for an unprecedented third straight NCAA men’s basketball championship against Oklahoma in the West regional first round Friday in Raleigh. The eighth-seeded Huskies are their lowest NCAA Tournament seed of coach Dan Hurley’s seven-season tenure. Still, the Huskies are a clear favorite to win their 13th straight March Madness game against the ninth-seeded Sooners.
The Huskies are 5.5-point favorites according to the best March Madness betting sites. Let’s get into my Oklahoma vs. UConn predictions and best bets for the first round.
Oklahoma vs. UConn predictions and best bets - Connecticut moneyline (-220) at FanDuel - UConn -5.5 (-105) at FanDuel - Under 148.5 points (-115) at DraftKings.
This may not be a vintage UConn team, but it is still super-talented, led by senior swingman Alex Karaban and NBA-bound freshman Liam McNeeley. The Huskies are averaging 77.4 points per game and have topped 70 points in six of their past seven games, which coincides with their 5-2 season-closing stretch.
The Sooners, meanwhile, have been reeling since the calendar flipped to 2025. OU started 13-0 with impressive wins over Arizona, Louisville, and Michigan but is 7-13 in its past 20 and went 6-12 in SEC play -- tied with rival Texas for the worst conference record of any NCAA Tournament at-large team in the past 40 years. Massachusetts may not allow player-prop bets, but Alex Karaban’s 3-pointer Over -- Over 1.5 (-170) at BetMGM -- is enticing if you are dialing up a same-game parlay or are in a state where player props are acceptable.
The Huskies are a -235 moneyline favorite, with a 67 percent implied probability. With UConn’s exceptional coaching and many of its standout players still on the roster, at least from last season’s national championship, it is understandable to see why. The Huskies also have a geographic advantage playing on the East Coast in North Carolina, an easy flight for many UConn fans and where many transplants have moved from the Northeast. This may be an 8/9 game, but on paper, it hardly seems like a tossup.
If the Huskies show up with a purpose on offense, UConn’s offense has not been nearly as crisp as in past years, especially in losses, where it is averaging 70.4 points per game. Oklahoma’s defense has been its deficiency all season, allowing at least 80 points in nine of its past 12 games. If UConn can develop an offensive flow and get fast-break points on OU misses, it should run to a relatively easy win.
If the Sooners can avoid turning it over, Hurley’s teams love to dial up the pressure defensively. OU averaged about 12 turnovers per game and has had double-digit turnovers in 15 of its past 20 games, but it has had fewer than 10 giveaways in three of its past five.
OU basketball vs UConn score: Sooners fall to Huskies in March Madness opener RALEIGH, N.C. — Coach Porter Moser and the ninth-seeded Oklahoma Sooners fell to the eighth-seeded UConn Huskies 67-59 on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Lenovo Center.
Sooners star true freshman point guard Jeremiah Fears scored a game-high 20 but it wasn't enough. UConn advances to face No. 1-seeded Florida in the second round on Sunday.
There's been a lid on the basket for both teams through one half as neither team scored in the final three minutes and 16 seconds. The Sooners couldn't buy a bucket, shooting 29% on 7 of 24 attempts.
But OU's defense has kept it in the game, forcing six turnovers and limiting UConn to 39% shooting. Jeremiah Fears has 11 points at the break and Jalon Moore has two and is 0 for 5 from the field. If the Sooners are going to pull off the upset, their best players will need to show up in the second half.
Porter Moser stressed all week the Sooners needed to defend UConn's elite ball movement. He has been impressed with the effort he’s seen from his squad in the first half. "We're playing our tails off," Moser told the TNT broadcast. "They just keep coming, they've knocked down a couple of 3s but I like our guys' effort. We're chasing things, we've got to come up with some of those rebounds. I like what we're doing on offense; we've just missed some 3s."
OU is losing the rebound battle slightly, 16-13, has knocked down just 2 of its nine 3-point attempts and is 1 for its last 8. The Huskies lead 27-20 with 3:45 remaining until the half.
Jeremiah Fears started Friday night's game where he left off last week during the SEC Tournament. Fears has nine on 3 for 4 shooting and has looked like the most talented player on the floor, maneuvering his way to the basket with ease and finding open shooters. The Sooners have made 4 of their last 5 shots and are sticking with the two-time defending national champions in the first half.
The Oklahoma vs UConn game started at 8:25 p.m. CT on Friday, March 21, 2025, from Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The game was broadcasted on TNT.
The prediction was UConn 79, Oklahoma 77. The Sooners finished the season with a 20-13 overall record and a 6-12 record in conference play. Jeremiah Fears is averaging a team-high 17 points per game this season and has scored 20 or more points in five of his last eight games. Jeremiah Fears is shooting 27 percent from three, while Jalon Moore is averaging 16 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this year.
UConn ranks No. 343 in adjusted tempo this season, while Oklahoma ranks 108. This match saw a thrilling follow-up to a season of ups and downs for both teams. The Sooners fell short on the big stage.
