Last year, the No. 19 Oklahoma Sooners rolled over the No. 23 Tennessee Volunteers, 34-10, and will look for a repeat, but this time around, the game is in Knoxville.
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Volunteers played very poorly the last time they faced Oklahoma, but at home, the team is 5-1 ATS in their last six games. They’re also 5-2 ATS in their last seven overall.
Still, Tennessee—going back further—has struggled against the nation’s better teams. Of course, the Vols are a better team themselves now, but are still just 4-9 ATS in their last 11 against a team with a winning record and 7-20-1 ATS in their last 28 home games against a team with a winning road record.
On the other side, Oklahoma is just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games, but have been very good early in the season with a 6-0 ATS mark in their last six September games and are 7-2 ATS in their last nine non-conference battles.
WHEN OKLAHOMA HAS THE BALL
The Sooners actually struggled a bit on offense in the first quarter of their season opener against Akron, scoring just a field goal, but picked it up from there, putting 41 points on the board.
In the dominating win, Oklahoma gained 539 yards, but managed just 100 yards on the ground on 33 carries. Don’t be afraid to back Samaje Perine in live betting action. He proved himself as a freshman with 6.5 yards a carry and 21 touchdowns on the ground. Still, it’s okay to be a little weary and live bettors should take note of his 11 carries for 33 yards in Week 1. He’ll need to prove it was a fluke and not a sign of a sophomore slump before you can be too comfortable backing him. He looked a bit out of sync with the new offensive line.
In the air, however, Baker Mayfield took advantage of a poor pass defense, completing almost 70% of his passes, totaling three touchdowns and 388 yards.
The Junior quarterback looked good in his first game with Oklahoma and had a solid season at Texas Tech before the transfer. Bettors shouldn’t be afraid to bank on Mayfield against a Tennessee defense that allowed 30 points and 557 yards against Bowling Green. Falcons’ quarterback Matt Johnson had 424 yards in the game.
WHEN TENNESSEE HAS THE BALL
While the Volunteers’ defense struggled in Week 1, the offense was on fire, combining for 604 yards with 399 coming on the ground as Alvin Kamara and Jalen Hurd combined for 267 yards and five touchdowns.
Quarterback Joshua Dobbs threw for 205 yards and two scores, but added 89 yards and a touchdown on the ground as well.
Oklahoma’s defense was far more effective last week, but they were better against the pass than the rush and, given the strength of the Vols’ offense, that’s not a great matchup.
Bettors should once again feel comfortable backing Tennessee rushers in live, in-game action.
TREND TO TRACK
The Sooners were out rushed by Akron on Saturday which is bad news for Oklahoma, but the difference was just 38 yards and that was the first time they’ve been outrushed in eight games.
On the other side, however, the Volunteers were out passed by 228 yards by a lackluster Bowling Green team. Tennessee made up the difference on the ground, but the stark differential is very telling about their somewhat one-dimensional offense, but more so about their pass defense which will have its work cut out for it against a much better passing game than what Bowling Green boasts.
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Volunteers were positioned as 1-point favorites with a total of 61. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The Oklahoma Sooners and Tennessee Volunteers square off on Saturday, September 12, 2015, at 6 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
