Oklahoma State's Close Games Could Become Beneficial in Big 12 Play
In this story:
Oklahoma State hasn’t exactly impressed in its recent nonconference wins, but it could be for the better.
On Sunday, OSU improved to 11-1 with another nonconference win, this time against Cal State Fullerton. While the Cowboys did enough to prevail 94-89, they had to work much harder than expected and execute in the clutch.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, OSU was a 19.5-point favorite going into its game against the Titans on Sunday. After covering the 11.5-point first-half spread, OSU tumbled mightily in the final 20 minutes.
In the second half, OSU was outscored 55-44, with Fullerton nearly being able to pull off the comeback and secure an upset win in Stillwater. While a costly mishap late ended Fullerton’s hopes of an upset, the Cowboys did nothing to encourage fans after their recent struggles against inferior competition.
With only one game left before Big 12 play, any hopes of these games being tune-ups have gone out the window, with OSU clearly having some rather concerning problems. Of course, the most disappointing part about OSU nearly blowing an 18-point lead was its struggles against a two-win Kansas City team just a few days earlier.
Ultimately, these wins still go down as wins, even if the spread indicates that it wasn’t necessarily a good win. Although it’s not exactly encouraging for OSU that these games have gone like this down the stretch, finding ways to win on rough nights could be a valuable skill OSU is learning going into conference play.
Since beginning the season with four straight blowout wins, six of OSU’s past eight games have finished with a margin of 10 points or fewer, with a 14-point win over Nicholls and a 12-point win over Kansas City being the only exception. Considering who OSU has faced in that stretch, those margins are nothing short of disappointing, but a 7-1 mark in those games might mean something for the Cowboys.
If OSU is a team that plays up to the level of its competition just as much as it has played down to the level of its competition over the past few weeks, it could be in a position to make some noise in the Big 12. While it won’t be easy, the Cowboys could be in a better position to win some tight games in conference play after playing and winning so many in the first two months.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.