Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys 3/19/23 – Eastern Washington will attempt to upset No. 1 seed Oklahoma State in the second round of the NIT on Sunday. The Eagles advanced with an 81-74 victory at Washington State on Tuesday night; Oklahoma State advanced past Youngstown State on Wednesday. The best college basketball online sites favored Eastern Washington to win this game despite being the underdog.
Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys
Date & Time: Sunday, March 19, 2023 at 2:00 PM ET
Location: Gallagher-Iba Arena
TV: ESP2
Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Betting Odds
Eastern Washington
Moneyline: +500
Spread: +12.5 (-110)
Total: 146 over (-110)
Oklahoma State
Moneyline: -700
Spread: -12.5 (-110)
Total: 146 under (-110)
Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Analysis
Eastern Washington Eagles experienced a slow start this season, losing five of their initial seven games. But during conference play the Eagles made up ground, going on an 18-game winning streak from December to February. Before losing their final two regular season matches against Big Sky opponents, Eastern Washington enjoyed another impressive 16-1 record against Big Sky opposition before dropping two final contests during the conference tournament where they fell as 7.5 point favorites against ninth-seeded Northern Arizona in the quarterfinals. But they found some momentum again during the NIT championship game against Washington State on Tuesday morning. Steele Venters scored 27 points and hit a game-winning 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to lift Eastern Washington to victory against the Cougars as 8.5-point underdogs. As the Big Sky Player of the Year, Venters averaged 15.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game; he is joined in double figures by Angelo Allegri and Tyreese Davis. Eastern Washington has been on fire from the floor this season; ranking third nationally in effective field goal percentage versus an Oklahoma State defense that ranks No. 12 nationally when adjusted efficiency is taken into account; plus, being eighth tallest college basketball, they have used height advantage to shoot nearly 60% from 2-point range this season.
Oklahoma State Cowboys looked like an NCAA Tournament team when they won five straight games in Big 12 play beginning at the end of January. But then the Cowboys lost their next five matches before wrapping up with a win over Texas Tech to close out the regular season and advance into the first round of the Big 12 Tournament. Their hopes were dashed when they fell to Texas in the quarterfinals of that conference tournament; ultimately their name wasn’t called on Selection Sunday but it was one of the more contentious decisions during bracket reveal. They went on the road and beat Youngstown State by five points as 5-point favorites in the opening round of the NIT, overturning a four-point halftime deficit. All five starters scored at least nine points with junior forward Tyreek Smith and sophomore forward Moussa Cisse both posting double doubles. Freshman guard Quion Williams added 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for another double-double performance for Oklahoma State which has relied heavily on its defense all season long; it ranks No. 261 in effective field goal percentage and No. 317 in turnover rate on offense; Eastern Washington boasts No. 216 in adjusted efficiency ratings.
Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Against the Spread
Over is 4-0 in Eagles last 4 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. Eagles are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 Sunday games. Over is 6-1 in Eagles last 7 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than 0.600. Eagles are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win. Over is 9-3 in Eagles last 12 road games.
Under is 3-0-1 in Cowboys last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above 0.600. Cowboys are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning % above 0.600. Under is 6-1 in Cowboys last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of greater than 0.600. Cowboys are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 games vs. a team with a winning straight up record. Under is 4-1-1 in Cowboys last 6 overall.
Eastern Washington Eagles vs Oklahoma State Cowboys Free Pick
The Eagles have seen great improvement since early in the season, and could have made some noise in the NCAA Tournament had they not had one of their worst performances at a conference tournament. After losing by double digits early in the year to Washington State, they showed their improvement with a win in their rematch earlier this week. The Cowboys have only two covered wins in nine games since then. Take the Eagles to claim the victory and drop their opponents according to NCAAB betting trends.
Free Pick: Eastern Washington Eagles +12.5 (-110)
