In a rematch of the 1972 Sugar Bowl, the Auburn Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners will each return to the Big Easy. The Sooners will enter the game off a Big 12 conference title and playing some great football behind a stacked offense even with the issues surrounding Joe Mixon. Auburn, meanwhile, struggled at the end of the regular season dropping two of its final three games, but that was partially due to injuries and the Tigers seem as healthy as they’ve been all year heading into this bowl matchup.
Don't miss the Sugar Bowl from Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana at 8:30 p.m. ET on Monday, January 2, 2017. Catch every moment of the game live on ESPN.
Sugar Bowl Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma -3
Auburn +3
Over/Under 63
Odds Analysis
The spread has been cut in half from its original opening mark. BookMaker originally had the Sooners as six-point favorites, but the Tigers’ appear to have both Sean White and Kamryn Pettway healthy and ready to go for this game and that’s huge. The two were instrumental in the team’s six-game winning streak. With much of the uncertainty around the two gone, the spread has moved a bit in result.
The total has also trended downward which is appropriate given the under going 4-0 in Auburn’s last four games. Of course, the health of White and Pettway could have an opposite impact on the total as it does on the spread. After all, Oklahoma is built on the strength of its offense, too. Nevertheless, the under is 4-1 in the Sooner’s last five games as well.
Bowl Game History
The Sugar Bowl dates back to New Year’s Day in 1935 and was formed in the tradition of its elder bowl games: the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl.
The legendary New Orleans based bowl game features a matchup between a team from the SEC and one from the Big 12 with the Big 12 conference tie-in being rather recent.
This is Auburn’s first appearance in the Sugar Bowl since winning it in 2005’s battle against Virginia Tech. The Tigers were the favorites and ranked No. 3 in the nation that year. This time, it’s Oklahoma that’s the higher seed.
In last year’s game, the SEC was represented by Ole Miss who beat Oklahoma State 48-20 to give the Southeastern Conference its first Sugar Bowl win since Florida topped Cincinnati in a 51-24 final back in 2010. Against the spread, the SEC posted similar results as they failed to cover for five straight years until Mississippi easily covered the 7.5-point spread a season ago.
Team and Coaching Bowl Game History
Oklahoma last played in the Sugar Bowl in 2014, beating Alabama 45-31 in what turned out to be their last bowl victory. The Sooners have dropped back-to-back bowl games, falling to Clemson both times.
The Tigers handled the Sooners’ rushing attack easily, holding Samaje Perine and company to two yards per carry and they had similar success against Baker Mayfield who although did throw for 311, managed just a single touchdown while allowing a pair of interceptions.
This will be Oklahoma’s 18th bowl game under Bob Stoops who has come under fire of late for his role—or lack thereof—in the rekindled Mixon controversy. Those issues aside, Stoops has been heralded for his work with Oklahoma, but while he’s led the team to a number of Big-12 titles, his Sooners have gone just 8-9 in bowl games during his tenure.
Flipping to the other side of the gridiron, Auburn topped Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl last season. That was their first bowl victory under Gus Malzahn in his third season at the helm.
Aside from the early bowl losses in the Malzahn era, Auburn has still been very good in bowl games over the last dozen years, going 9-3.
Recent Games of Note
There’s no history between these teams unless you go back to 1972 and there’s not really any opponent crossover given the conferences these two teams compete in.
We did, however, see this Tigers team break out in the middle of the season with a six game winning streak and a four game stretch where they averaged 48 points per game. That’s in Oklahoma’s offensive territory.
The Sooners have shown they can light up some rather strong defenses. They hung 56-points on West Virginia in Morgantown with Perine and Mixon combining for 307 yards and three scores with Baker Mayfield rushing and passing for a pair of scores apiece.
The Tigers’ defense offers a completely new challenge, however, as Auburn’s front seven is stronger than what the Sooners are used to in the Big 12. Still, Oklahoma will score. The question now is: will Auburn?
Oklahoma’s defense is not its strength, particularly in the air. We saw White hurt his shoulder in the Georgia game after just 27-yards, but when the Tigers’ offense is on, he’s completing a high percentage of his passes and racking up over 200 yards a game, opening up the lanes for the ground game to do its thing.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
