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The defending champion UConn Huskies will begin their quest for a three-peat with a 2025 March Madness first-round matchup on Friday versus the Oklahoma Sooners. UConn (23-10), the No. 8 seed in the West Region, was ranked as high as No. 2 in the Top 25 but has dropped out of the AP Poll entirely. Oklahoma (20-13) is the 9-seed and slumped to the finish line of the regular season, going 4-8 over its last 12 games. The Sooners have won three of four all-time matchups versus Connecticut, with all coming from 2002-05.

The game from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., tips off at 9:25 p.m. ET. The Huskies are 6.5-point favorites in the latest Oklahoma vs. UConn odds from the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any UConn vs. Oklahoma picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on UConn vs. Oklahoma and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Oklahoma vs. UConn:

  • UConn vs. Oklahoma spread: UConn -6.5
  • UConn vs. Oklahoma over/under: 147.5 points 
  • UConn vs. Oklahoma money line: UConn -271, Oklahoma +219
  • OU: The Sooners are 18-15 against the spread
  • UCONN: The Huskies are 15-18 versus the line 
  • UConn vs. Oklahoma picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why UConn can cover

UConn hasn't just scraped by during its two-year domination of the NCAA Tournament as it has routed each and every opponent. The Huskies have won 12 straight March Madness games -- each coming by at least 13 points. Coach Dan Hurley uniquely prepares his team for every game in a way where the Huskies can exploit their opponent's weaknesses. A glaring weakness for OU is that it won just four of its last 12 games, while another is that the Sooners .333 win percentage within the SEC is the worst by any at-large team in NCAA Tournament history.

Connecticut has strengths of its own that could push its tourney win streak to a baker's dozen. It leads the nation with 6.4 blocks per game, using its size to its advantage as Hurley rolls out three starters standing 6-foot-7 or taller. Oklahoma has just one of its top eight scorers taller than 6-foot-6, and that lack of size is apparent on the glass as OU ranks second-worst in the SEC in both total rebounds and offensive boards. Only four teams in the nation allow fewer rebounds than the Huskies, so they should control the paint in terms of rim protection and rebounding. See which team to pick here.

Why Oklahoma can cover 

The Sooners can take comfort in the fact that these aren't the same Huskies which reigned supreme over college basketball the past two seasons. After ranking in the top 10 in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric in each of the last two years, the 2025 Huskies are just 94th. UConn struggles to force turnovers, ranking 64th out of 68 tourney teams in steals per game, and Connecticut struggles to defend without fouling. They allow the seventh-most free throw attempts per game amongst 2025 NCAA Tournament teams.

It just so happens that a major part of Oklahoma's offense comes from the charity stripe. The Sooners are among the top 12 teams in college basketball in both free throws made per game and free throw percentage. OU also possesses a pair of go-to guys in Jeremiah Fears and Jalon Moore, who are the only SEC duo averaging over 15 ppg this season. Fears has scored at least 28 points in three of his last four games, while Moore has a dozen 20-point games this season, including against top-4 seeds Alabama, Kentucky and Arizona. See which team to pick here.

How to make UConn vs. Oklahoma picks

SportsLine's model has simulated Oklahoma vs. UConn 10,000 times and is leaning Over on the total, projecting 153 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine.

So who wins UConn vs. Oklahoma, and which side of the spread cashes in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Oklahoma vs. UConn spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,00 on its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.