Vegas thinks that the Texas Longhorns are a very live dog against the Oklahoma Sooners this week. The spread in the Red River Showdown is the lowest it has been since 2012, but in that meeting the Sooners hammered the Longhorns 63-21. Although Oklahoma has been favored in almost every season since 2000 in this rivalry, Texas wins a surprising amount of games and these teams have split the last 12 meetings down the middle.
Kickoff for this regular season Week 7 game is set for Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 3:30 p.m. ET at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas. This game will be broadcast on ESPN.
College Football Opening Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma -7.5
Texas +7.5
Odds Analysis
The Sooners were stunned at home by Iowa State last week in a result that shocked every college football observer. Oklahoma was ranked No. 3 in the nation and had covered its first three games with ease before stumbling against Baylor two weeks prior. With a bye week to prepare, the Sooners were expected to roll over Iowa State, who was starting a backup quarterback.
That’s why they play the games though. The Sooners looked well on their way to a victory in the first half, but only scored seven points in the second half after a couple drive killing mistakes. Meanwhile, Oklahoma’s defense suddenly couldn’t stop Iowa State, and the Cyclones got one of the biggest upset wins of the season despite being a 30-point underdog.
As for Texas, the Longhorns really struggled to separate themselves against Kansas State last week, but pulled out a gritty 40-34 win in double overtime. The win gave Texas its fourth straight cover of the season, and even more importantly put them above .500 for the first time all year. That’s very important as three of their next four opponents are the three heavyweights of the Big 12.
Coaching Angle
This is the first season for both Tom Herman and Lincoln Riley at their respective institutions. These have been two of the hottest names in the coaching world for a few years now, so it will be great to see them battle in this classic rivalry.
Both are considered offensive geniuses, but have different philosophies. Herman studied under Urban Meyer and prizes dual-threat quarterbacks. Both Sam Ehlinger and Shane Buechele are asked to run the ball with regularity, keeping defenses on their toes. Often times, Herman will sacrifice a little bit of accuracy for mobility in his quarterback. They haven’t been able to consistently churn out yards on the ground this season, but the team is slowly adapting to his coaching.
Lincoln Riley is more of an innovator in the passing game. He is from the Mike Leach school of thought and asks his quarterbacks to throw it all over the field to exploit mismatches. Riley was the Sooners’ offensive coordinator the last two years and this offense was wildly successful under his eye. It has been this season too, despite the second half mistakes against Iowa State.
Key Injury
Shane Buechele’s status for this game is up in the air. Buechele has been banged up all season long with shoulder and ankle injuries, and that has opened the door for true freshman Sam Ehlinger to see some action.
According to Herman, Buechele remains the starter, but Ehlinger sees a lot of time in certain packages. Ehlinger is a better runner than Buechele is and is a load to bring down. Buechele is a much more reliable passer and will get the nod if healthy.
Free ATS Pick
Everyone seems to think that Texas can keep this one close, including Vegas. The last four meetings in this series have been remarkably close, but there’s no reason to think this one will be. Oklahoma has looked much sharper than Texas this season, and should roll over the Longhorns. Baker Mayfield will have a huge day in a statement victory for Oklahoma.
College Football Odds: Oklahoma 48, Texas 20
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