The Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the UMass Lowell River Hawks in a neutral-site battle on Tuesday. The matchup is part of a four-game event called the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Showcase at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. Oklahoma State is 2-1 to begin the season, and the Cowboys return a great deal of talent from a team that made the 2021 NCAA Tournament. UMass Lowell began the 2021-22 season with back-to-back wins.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Cowboys as 17-point favorites for this 5 p.m. ET tipoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over-under, is 135 in the latest Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell odds. Before making any UMass Lowell vs. Oklahoma State picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $2,100 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for UMass Lowell vs. Oklahoma State:
- Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell spread: OK State -17
- Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell over-under: 135 points
- Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell money line: OK State -1700, UMass Lowell +900
- OSU: The Cowboys are 19-13-1 against the spread in the last 33 games
- UL: The River Hawks are 13-10-1 against the spread in the last 24 games
Featured Game | Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. UMass Lowell River Hawks
Why Oklahoma State can cover
Defense is the primary strength for Oklahoma State, both this season and dating back to last year. Given that the Cowboys return seven of the top eight scorers from the 2020-21 team, Oklahoma State’s previous metrics are particularly relevant, and the Cowboys ranked in the top 20 in the nation in defense efficiency last season. This year, the Cowboys rank in the top 10 nationally through three games, with high-end havoc creation.
Oklahoma State is No. 7 in the country in turnover creation rate (31.9 percent) and No. 4 in the country in steal rate (18.5 percent) in 2021-22. Last year, opponents posted an ugly 47.1 percent effective field-goal shooting mark against Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys were above-average in creating blocks and steals. On offense, the Cowboys can use physicality and size to their advantage in this game, and Oklahoma State was No. 2 in the Big 12 in free throw creation rate in 2020-21.
Why UMass Lowell can cover
The River Hawks are enjoying a substantial edge in the turnover battle this season. UMass Lowell is forcing a turnover on 24.9 percent of defensive possessions and, on offense, the River Hawks are giving the ball away on only 13.3 percent of possessions. Oklahoma State has major issues with ball security, both this season and in 2020-21. The Cowboys are outside the top 250 in the country in turnover rate (23.1 percent) this season, and Oklahoma State was well below-average at 21.0 percent last season.
Oklahoma State is also shooting just 62.7 percent from the free-throw line, which could help the River Hawks. Oklahoma State also struggled mightily on the defensive glass a season ago, allowing opponents to snatch 30.1 percent of their own missed shots.
How to make UMass Lowell vs. Oklahoma State picks
The model is leaning over on the total, projecting 140 points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time. You can get the model’s pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins Oklahoma State vs. UMass Lowell? And which side of the spread hits well over 50 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,100 on its college basketball picks the last four years, and find out.
