The Cincinnati Bearcats take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Big 12 Tournament. Tip-off is set for 12:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Cincinnati is favored by 5.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -240. The total is set at 139.5 points.
Here are my Cincinnati vs. Oklahoma State predictions and college basketball picks for March 11, 2025.
Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State Prediction
My Pick: Cincinnati -6 or Better
My Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State best bet is on the Bearcats spread, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your college basketball bets, find the best lines using our live NCAAB odds page.
Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State Odds
| Cincinnati Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -118 | 139.5 -112o / -108u | -240 |
| Oklahoma State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -104 | 139.5 -112o / -108u | +195 |
- Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State spread: Cincinnati -5.5
- Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State over/under: 139.5 points
- Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State moneyline: Cincinnati -240, Oklahoma State +195
- Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State best bet: Cincinnati -6 or Better
Spread
I'm backing the Bearcats to cover the spread.
Moneyline
I'm passing on the moneyline.
Over/Under
I'm passing on the over/under.
My Pick: Cincinnati -6 or Better
Cincinnati vs Oklahoma State College Basketball Betting Preview
These two played each other to end the Big 12 regular season, with Oklahoma State pulling out a surprising 11-point upset as 3.5-point home ‘dogs.
That said, I doubt that the result will hold in the rematch.
Cincinnati took seven more shots from the field and shot over 50% from inside the arc (21-for-41), but the Bearcats lost because they made just seven of their 28 3-point attempts (25%).
Meanwhile, the rim-reliant Cowboys were worthless on the interior (22-for-53 from inside the arc, 42%), but they made all their limited 3-point attempts (7-for-9 from 3, 78%).
The Bearcats would’ve likely won that road game comfortably with more typical shooting splits. ShotQuality graded it as a nine-point analytically-expected win for Cincinnati based on the “quality” of shots taken and allowed.
While the Bearcats lost their final three games of the regular season, the offense trended up as the season progressed behind Jizzle James’ resurgence.
I was very impressed by his performances in losses (but covers) against Houston (18 points, five assists, one turnover) and Iowa State (25 points on 9-for-16 shooting), which is essential to note because Oklahoma State runs a similarly built but far less effective aggressive ball-screen coverage.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s drop-coverage scheme, anchored by Aziz Bandaogo and Dillon Mitchell, is elite at the rim and excellent at defending opposing post-up sets. That's imperative against Oklahoma State’s Abou Ousmane and Marchelus Avery.
I like the two-way matchup for Cincinnati, and I’m banking on some game-to-game positive shooting regression for the Bearcats after last week’s anomalous head-to-head result.
