Frank Erwin Center - Austin, TX
Tip-off: Monday, 9:00 p.m. ET
Line: Texas -6.5, Total: 133.5

Two of the top teams in the Big 12 clash on Monday, as No. 10 Texas hosts No. 16 Oklahoma in a heated rivalry.

The Sooners (7-4 ATS) were a trendy pick to win the Big 12 at the beginning of the season, and they have done nothing to change that opinion. Since the start of December, they are is 6-1 SU (5-2 ATS) with the lone defeat coming on a neutral court to then-No. 16 Washington by just two points. Oklahoma opened Big 12 play on Saturday with an impressive 73-63 home victory against No. 22 Baylor, improving the team to 2-2 SU against Top 25 schools this season. The Sooners loves to push the tempo, and benefit greatly when that happens, going 15-6 ATS in the past two seasons when shooting 54 to 62 shots per game. This game is a contrast of style, as the Longhorns (8-4 ATS) are as good of a defensive team as there is in college basketball. Their deep frontcourt is loaded with talent and size, helping Texas rank tied for 11th in the nation in scoring defense (55.5 PPG), and third in the NCAA in both shooting defense (33.7% FG) and blocks (7.4 BPG). The Longhorns are 25-14 ATS (64%) as a home favorite of 6.5 to 9 points under Rick Barnes. Whichever team is able to control the tempo will have a great chance to get the win. Oklahoma was able to do that last season with an 88-85 victory in Austin followed by a 77-65 win in Norman. That nearly evens this series since 1997, where Texas holds a slim 21-20 advantage (SU and ATS), which includes an 11-6 SU (10-7 ATS) mark in Austin. There are no significant injuries for either team in this game.

Can Texas win comfortably in this Big 12 rivalry? For the latest college basketball picks, check out The Platinum Sheet for all the StatFox Experts selections every week throughout the entire 2013-14 season. The experts have caught fire since Dec. 23, combining for a 65% ATS mark (32-17) in college basketball Best Bets. StatFox Gary is 9-1 ATS during this timeframe to improve to 68% ATS (27-13) for the season, while StatFox Scott is on an 8-2 ATS Best Bets run since Dec. 23. StatFox Zach and StatFox Brian are both 55% ATS (22-18) on college hoops Best Bets this season.

The Sooners have not quite been as good offensively as last season when they averaged 81.9 PPG, but they can still score points in bunches with 73.9 PPG (55th in nation) on a solid 44.5% FG clip (137th in NCAA). They are also 23rd in the nation in rebounding (40.4 RPG) and dish out an adequate 13.3 APG (152nd in NCAA). The biggest number to look at there is the rebounding, something Oklahoma will have to do in this game to get the victory, but its +2.7 RPG margin falls well below the eye-popping +14.3 RPG margin that Texas has compiled. But junior PF Ryan Spangler (9.4 PPG, 8.3 RPG) is the leading returning rebounder in the Big 12, and he is a physical player who can compete with the Longhorn bigs. However, Spangler will also have a big role on the offensive side of the court, where his shooting ability (59% FG, 44% threes) can pull some of the Longhorn post players out of the paint. When it comes to scoring, SG Buddy Hield (16.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG) is electric with the basketball. While he sometimes takes questionable shots (41% FG), he still shoots the ball well from long range (38% threes). He is the guy the Sooners feed off, and when he is able to hit a couple shots early, then the team seems to catch fire. Hield averaged 19.5 PPG (8-of-14 threes) and 6.0 RPG in the two-game series sweep last season SG Isaiah Cousins (13.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 44 % threes) and PG Jordan Woodard (8.2 PPG, 4.8 APG, 4.1 RPG) are going to have to control the game and tempo, and not allow Texas to slow down the game and feed the post.

For the Longhorns, everything starts with their ability to rebound the ball, as they rank fourth in the nation in total rebounds (43.7 RPG). They also rank 91st in scoring (72.1 PPG), 95th in shooting (45.4% FG) and 156th in assists (13.2 APG). Texas got a boost to its roster last game as PG Isaiah Taylor (13.3 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.8 APG, 44% threes) returned to the court after missing 10 games with a broken wrist. While he was rusty in Saturday's 70-61 win against Texas Tech (2-of-10 FG, six turnovers), having his speed back on the court is something the Longhorns definitely need. Senior SF Jonathan Holmes (12.6 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 45% threes) is the heart and soul of this team, and he is the guy they look to at the end of games. He hit a three-pointer in the final seconds against UConn on Nov. 30 to get the victory, and has scored 12+ points in each of his past five contests. Last season versus the Sooners, he averaged 13.0 PPG (11-of-18 FG) and 2.0 BPG. Freshman PF Myles Turner (11.7 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 38% threes) was the big recruit the Longhorns signed this season, and he has delivered early. He curiously averages only 21.7 MPG, but he is shooting 51% from the floor and 89% from the foul line while also blocking 2.6 shots per game. The 6-foot-11 Turner had 11 rebounds and two blocks in Saturday's win, and will need a similar effort to help his team prevail on Monday night.