The Texas Longhorns are ranked 17th in the country heading into Sunday’s game against the Stanford Cardinal. With a 7-2 record, the Longhorns are looking to pick up a win over a Power 5 opponent, in a game that will take place at a neutral site in Las Vegas. But in order for them to do that, the Longhorns will need to shake off their history this season, as they haven’t yet proven they can beat elite competition.
Stanford, meanwhile, comes into this Texas Longhorns vs. Stanford Cardinal matchup with a 6-3 record and a small winning streak. They have notched a win in conference play already this season, which they will hope can propel them to bigger and better things as the season goes along. But Stanford will need more than momentum if they are going to take care of business in Las Vegas against a ruthless Texas defense.
Texas Longhorns – Winning With Defense
Entering the tip off of this game, the Texas Longhorns have beaten the smaller conference foes that they are supposed to beat. But they have yet to beat a power conference opponent, or even a big name program from a smaller conference. In their two real tests this season, against Gonzaga and Seton Hall, Texas lost on both occasions, raising questions about just how good they really are despite being ranked in the top-20 at this point in the season.
What Texas does have working for it heading into this game is a stellar defense. The Longhorns are allowing just 53 points per game on the season, and have shut down everybody but Gonzaga so far this season. No team other than the Bulldogs has scored 65 points on the Longhorns yet this season, and Texas will look to keep it that way when they take on the Cardinal in the desert.
Expected Line-Up: Andrew Jones, Courtney Ramsey, Devin Askew, Timmy Allen, Tre Mitchell
with best odds
Stanford Cardinal – Looking For Third Straight Win
The Stanford Cardinal are 6-3 this season and have had their share of struggles despite their winning record thus far. They are 1-2 against power conference foes on the season, losing to Baylor by 38 and Colorado by four points. But they did managed to pick up their first win in Pac-12 play on the season against Oregon, which started a two-game winning streak for Stanford entering this matchup.
Coming into this matchup, the question for the Cardinal will be whether or not they can generate enough offense to trouble the Longhorns. Stanford averages 72 points per game on the season, a near-identical number to Texas’ 73 points per game. But Stanford has only played one defense as good as that of Texas, with that being a Baylor team that has climbed its way to number one in the college basketball rankings for this season.
Expected Line-Up: Michael O’Connell, Jaiden Delaire, James Keefe, Harrison Ingram, Max Murrell
Expert Pick #1 – Stanford +10.5 @ -110
The first bet to place on this matchup is Stanford +10.5 at -110 odds. Yes, Texas’ defense is the best facet of either team’s games coming into this contest. But the Longhorns have clearly struggled against competition that hasn’t come from mid-major leagues this year. It won’t be pretty, but Stanford should be able to cover this number as a double-digit underdog.
Expert Pick #2 – Under 129.5 @ -110
Next, it is worth placing a bet on the under 129.5 at -110 odds. This is far from a glamorous number to take an under on, but it speaks to just what kind of a defensive struggle we are poised to see in Las Vegas on Sunday afternoon. Both teams have shown that they struggle offensively against higher level foes, and they are likely to do so again in this game, to the chagrin of the neutral fan who wants to see points.
Expert Pick #3 – Texas Under 70.5 Points @ -110
Finally, it is worth placing a small bet on the Texas under 70.5 points at -110 odds. While they are favored to win this game, both teams are likely to have their issues putting the ball in the basket, especially early on in this matchup. Expect both teams to fail to hit their season averages on offense, the bulk of which were built up against opponents from smaller leagues.
While the Texas Longhorns should win this game to move to 8-2 on the season, this game is going to be far from pretty. Both teams have proven that they are capable of folding against competition that is similar in skill level to them. And while the Longhorns are likely to come out with a win here, they are not a guarantee to cover the number by any stretch of the imagination.
