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The No. 4 seed Oklahoma State Cowboys will look to snap a six-game NCAA Tournament losing streak when they battle the No. 13 seed Liberty Flames in a first-round matchup on Friday. Oklahoma State (20-8, 11-7), which last won a tournament game in 2009, is making its third appearance as a 4-seed, making the Final Four in 1995, and losing in the second round in 1994. Liberty (23-5, 11-2), which has won 12 in a row and 19 of 21, will participate in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history and has qualified six times. Last year's tournament, however, was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The game from Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis is scheduled to begin at 6:25 p.m. ET. Liberty is averaging 74.9 points per game, while Oklahoma State averages 77.1. The Cowboys are seven-point favorites in the latest Liberty vs. Oklahoma State odds from William Hill Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is set at 139.5. Before making any Oklahoma State vs. Liberty picks, check out the college basketball predictions and 2021 NCAA Tournament betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past four-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of over $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. It has also returned almost $500 on all top-rated college basketball picks this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Oklahoma State vs. Liberty in the NCAA Tournament 2021. You can head to SportsLine to see its picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Liberty vs. Oklahoma State:

  • Liberty vs. Oklahoma State spread: Oklahoma State -7
  • Liberty vs. Oklahoma State over-under: 139.5 points
  • Liberty vs. Oklahoma State money line: Liberty +280, Oklahoma State -350
  • LIB: Nine of the Flames' 12 straight wins have been by double digits. Liberty has a plus-14.8 point differential during that stretch
  • OSU: Is back in the NCAA Tournament for the 29th time, with its best seed since 2005

Why Oklahoma State can cover 

The Cowboys earned their first top-four seed since 2005, when Oklahoma State was a No. 2 seed. Sophomore forward Kalib Boone has played well this season, including a 10-point performance in the Cowboys' 83-74 upset win over second-ranked Baylor in the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals last Friday. He set a school record with 14 blocked shots during the three games of the Big 12 Tournament, which was the second-most in conference history. Boone, who averages 9.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game, has made 73 of his last 108 shots (67.6 percent) over the last 16 games. His 64.5 percent field goal percentage is on a school-record pace.

If the Cowboys are going to make a deep March Madness run, however, it will likely be because of guard Cade Cunningham. The freshman and potential No. 1 overall pick in this year's NBA's Draft averages 20.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.4 steals per contest. He's hitting 45.4 percent of his shots from the field and 41.2 percent from 3-point range. He's scored 24 or more points in three of his past four games. If he puts up numbers like that on Friday, the Cowboys will be well on their way to a win and cover. 

Why Liberty can cover

The Flames have a balanced offensive attack with six players averaging 6.9 points per game or better. Junior guard Darius McGhee leads the way, averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He has reached double digits 21 times, including a career-high 34 points at Bellarmine on Feb. 27. Since Feb. 13, McGhee is averaging 22.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game during that stretch. He has made 93 3-pointers, which is the third-most in the country this season.

Another big reason for Liberty's success has been the play of Chris Parker, a transfer from Henderson State University. The senior guard has reached double figures 17 times, including in three of the past four games. Parker, who scored a season-high 19 points at Bellarmine on Feb. 27, is averaging 10.3 points, 3.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game. He is connecting on 81.8 percent of his free throws.

How to make Liberty vs. Oklahoma State picks

The model is leaning over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 148 points. It also says one side of the spread hits in well over 70 percent of simulations. You can only see the pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Liberty vs. Oklahoma State? And which side of the spread hits well over 70 percent of the time? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the computer model that has crushed its college basketball picks.