In the West Region of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the ninth-seed Oklahoma Sooners will take on the eighth-seed UConn Huskies on Friday, March 21, 2025. This game will take place in Raleigh, NC, with the winner likely to take on the one-seed Florida Gators in the second-round of the tournament. But before worrying about the Gators, these teams need to focus on beating one another in a game that could go either way.
The latest college basketball betting odds have listed UConn as 4.5-point favorites, while the total for this SEC vs Big East matchup stands at 147.5 points. Before Oklahoma vs UConn tips off, you can continue reading to get our preview of this game and our best bet before March Madness begins.
Oklahoma Looks to Rebound From Rough SEC Season
There might not be a team that benefited more from conference realignment this past year than the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma went 6-12 in their first year of SEC play in the regular season and went 1-1 in the SEC tournament. Still, they were given an at-large bid in the tournament by virtue of playing in the nation’s best conference. This game will give them an opportunity to prove that they belong and not just because of the conference they play in.
In Oklahoma’s loss to Kentucky in the SEC tournament, the Sooners were the victim of a buzzer-beater from Otega Oweh. Had that shot been missed, the Sooners could have been further on the right side of the bubble and maybe seeded higher. But the Sooners will have to be thankful that they are in the field at all and make the most of their opportunity even if they are not seeded where they might like to be.
UConn Hopes to Extend Title Defense
The two-time defending national champions are back in the NCAA Tournament, as the UConn Huskies earned an at-large bid into the tournament. UConn lost to Creighton in the semifinals of the Big East tournament. They will look to bounce back from that loss in their opener in this year’s March Madness, as they look to win a third straight national title under head coach Dan Hurley.
This year’s UConn team is not as good as the teams from the last two years that cruised to national titles. But if Solo Ball can channel his inner Kemba Walker or Shabazz Napier and go on a big run over these next few weeks, the Huskies could shock the world, starting with this opening round affair.
Oklahoma vs UConn Prediction
UConn -4.5 (-110) over Oklahoma
220K Gold Coins & 10 FREE Sweeps Coins
Claim Bonus - UConn is better coached and has an experience advantage going into the NCAA Tournament.
- Oklahoma belongs nowhere near the NCAA Tournament and only got in because of the strength of the other teams in the SEC.
