Oklahoma vs. Colorado Picks and Predictions: College Basketball Crown Quarterfinals
Written by: Nate Hornung
Last Update: Wed Apr 01, 2026, 4:19 pm ET
Read Time: 6 minutes
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After two very long days without any college basketball on our screens, the hoopers return tonight as the College Basketball Crown kicks off in Sin City. This tournament featured 16 teams last season and we had plenty of exciting action as the Nebraska Cornhuskers won the first ever College Basketball Crown. But this year, only eight teams are involved, so we are automatically in the quarterfinals. We have two games tonight and two tomorrow, but in this piece, we will check out our CBB expert's favroite picks as Oklahoma takes on Colorado. Who will come out on top?
Check out our March Madness Betting Guide to get in on all the action this month!
Best Bet: Oklahoma Team Total Over 87.5 (-114) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Go check out what else I've got on my daily card, and view the latest odds at the best online sportsbooks.
Oklahoma Sooners vs. Colorado Buffaloes NCAA Basketball Insights
Isaiah Johnson has entered the transfer portal, but could be looking to improve his stock tonight in the College Basketball Crown
Last year, we saw some interesting betting patterns with this tournament. Totals in the CBC were bought up seven, eight, or even over 10 points, yet it didn't matter. Most games still soared over the total. I'm not sure if it was a combination of teams not caring defensively, or maybe they just used it as a way to showcase themselves on offense to future teams as players hit the portal. Regardless, we should keep that in mind when wagering on this tournament.
And we have a perfect example in this first game. The Sooners opened up as 5.5 point favorites with a total at 162.5. But as we can see below, those numbers are long gone. Oklahoma is now laying nine points with a total at 165.5, but is it going to matter?
Matchup Information – Oklahoma vs. Colorado – April 1
- Venue & Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena (Las Vegas, NV)
- Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2026
- Tip Off: 8:00 p.m. Eastern
- Broadcast: FS1
Oklahoma vs. Colorado Betting Odds
Odds are courtesy of Lucky Rebel, one of our favorite online sportsbooks, as of April 1, 2026 at 2:50 p.m. eastern. Sign up today with and get a $1,250 deposit bonus, as well as 50 slot spins immediately. Lucky Rebel Sportsbook offers a wide variety of unique markets across nearly every sport imaginable.
Spread
- Oklahoma -9 (-110)
- Colorado +9 (-110)
Moneyline
- Oklahoma -430
- Colorado +325
Total
- Over 165.5 (-108)
- Under 165.5 (-112)
Oklahoma vs. Colorado NCAA Basketball Picks and Predictions
Nijel Pack leads the Sooners by scoring over 16.5 points per game this year
Oklahoma vs. Colorado Prediction: Oklahoma Wins and Covers, Over 165.5
Best Bet: Oklahoma Team Total Over 87.5 (-114) Lucky Rebel Sportsbook
Despite this total moving up, and the spread doing the same, I still side with the Sooners. Specifically looking at one player, Nigel Pack, who is playing in his sixth season of college basketball. That guy alone will do everything in his power to do a couple of things. First and foremost, keep his final season of hoops alive. Second, possibly try to improve his stock to professional teams overseas, cause that man ain't making the NBA. Regardless, expect tons of offense from the Sooners.
They are already a very offensive focused team. The Sooners are No. 37 in the country according to Bart Torvik, ranking top 12 in adjusted offensive efficiency and top 40 in both turnover rate and effective FG%. They take care of the ball and shoot it well, especially from deep. Oklahoma ranks top 100 in the country in 3P Rate, and top 35 in 3P% shooting over 36.5% from deep as a team.
How does Colorado do defending the perimeter? Short answer, not well. The Buffaloes rank No. 81 overall and are in the bottom 100 in terms of opponent eFG%. Plus they are actually bottom 30 (No. 338) in opponent 3P%, letting foes shoot 36.8% from beyond the arc. Look for the Sooners to get hot from deep and put up plenty of points tonight in Las Vegas.
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Check Out the Other March Madness Content from Betting News
For college basketball bettors, March Madness is the most wonderful time of the year. And at Betting News, we have you covered for this festively fun season with expert picks throughout the tournament from Nate Hornung and Eddie Griffin, consensus picks for every March Madness game from the First Four to the Final Four, a rundown of the best March Madness betting sites, and more.
Also, through our streams and social media channels, you can get even more insight from Nate and other members of the Betting News team, as well as offer your own thoughts and tips for the tournament.
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Nate has been a recreational sports bettor for about 5 years. In that time, he has grown to love the pursuit of winners and sticking it to The Man. Nate loves data and uses his understanding of numbers to help him be a more profitable sports gambler, however he will be the first to tell you this game is about more than just stats.
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