Oklahoma Sooners - NCAAB

Oklahoma Sooners vs Tennessee Volunteers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 02/18/26

Thompson-Boling ArenaESPN2
Oklahoma
13-12
Oklahoma
Today
Tennessee
18-7
Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers - NCAAB
Google News

Oklahoma vs Tennessee Pickswise Expert Predictions

Point Spread Pick
Tennessee -11.0(-115)

Double-digit spreads in conference play usually come down to whether the favorite can create separation without relying on shooting variance. Tennessee is one of the few teams built to do exactly that. The Vols’ defensive pressure doesn’t just lower efficiency; it creates scoring opportunities through turnovers, runouts and second-chance possessions.

That matters against Oklahoma, whose offense has struggled when forced out of its primary actions. The Sooners are most comfortable operating in rhythm, but Tennessee’s defense disrupts timing. There is also another element that we cannot forget to mention: Oklahoma is 2-6 SU outside Norman, while the Vols are 13-1 in Knoxville. This means that the Sooners can find themselves in the deep-end quick in a hostile setting like the Thompson-Boling Arena. For a team like OU that lives and dies by its offense, things can get really nasty if it is out of sync. The other edge for Smokey and company is possession margin. Tennessee consistently wins in offensive rebounding and defensive discipline. Small ingredients such as that play a huge role in a team covering a double-digit spread and that applies here. The only way that the Sooners stay in range is if they start off fast and get out to a great start, forcing the Volunteers to trade baskets for 2 halves. However, if Oklahoma struggles to generate clean looks, this becomes a game where the Volunteers build separation through defense rather than outshooting the Sooners. There are multiple roads for the Volunteers to cover as double-digit chalk.

Oklahoma vs Tennessee prediction: Tennessee -11 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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Napier Montgomery

College football handicapper for Pickswise, specializing in college football, soccer and college basketball. Much prefer betting on the smaller/forgotten games than the big matchups, where the lines are a lot more vulnerable. PhD in Victorian Literature, putting my skills of the written word to the test with betting analysis.
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