All aboard the Lane Train! Lane Kiffin’s first year in Boca Raton as the head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls was a smashing success. After a 1-3 start that included a head scratcher of a loss to Buffalo, the Owls ran the table in Conference USA play. They crushed North Texas for the Conference USA Championship, and they followed that up by blasting Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl. FAU has one of the longest winning streaks in the country, and the Owls have a chance to make some serious noise against the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 1 of the college football season.
This contest in Week 1 will go down Saturday, September 1, 2018 at 12 p.m. ET at OU Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Florida Atlantic +21
Oklahoma -21
Over/Under 69
Odds Analysis
There has been little movement with regard to the spread in this game. The Sooners have been a three-touchdown favorite per the CFB betting odds since the line opened. However, I anticipate a flurry of money on the Owls prior to the start of the game, pushing the line down to as low as 17.
On the other hand, the total has shot up considerably. The over/under for this non-conference affair opened at 65.5 and has moved more than a field goal to where it currently sits at 69.
Matchup to Watch
Only a handful of teams were better at running the ball than Florida Atlantic was last season, and most of those teams were run-only option offenses. The Owls finished sixth in the nation in rushing offense, with Devin Singletary emerging as one of the best running backs in all the land. He is the favorite to win the Doak Walker Award this year according to the CFB betting odds, after running for nearly 2,000 yards in 2017.
Oklahoma’s defense has been notoriously mercurial under Mike Stoops. At times, the Sooners look like they can shut down some of the better offenses in the nation thanks to their talent and preparation. At other times, this defense looks completely lost though, and that cost them big against Iowa State in the regular season and Georgia in the Rose Bowl. They have signed a lot of highly rated recruits to address the issue over the last couple years, and they will need to play well considering how many quality starters this unit lost.
Player to Watch
It’s never easy to replace a Heisman Trophy winner, but Oklahoma has an incredibly talented quarterback in Kyler Murray. Murray originally signed with Texas A&M out of high school and ended up transferring to Norman after just a year in College Station. Even though Baker Mayfield was the starter in 2017 and played almost every snap, Murray was incredible when given the opportunity with 14 carries for 142 yards, and he went 18-21 for 359 yards and three touchdowns.
There is another factor overshadowing Murray’s potential at Oklahoma though. This will be his last season of college football. Murray was taken ninth overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, and he recently signed a contract that includes a $4.66 million dollar signing bonus. His contract stipulates that this will be his last season, and that has many wondering how committed he can be. Murray is already a millionaire, so he may not have the desire that he would have otherwise.
Free ATS Pick
Florida Atlantic is going to give Oklahoma all it can handle. Kiffin is one of the sharpest offensive minds in the game, and he knows what a win over Oklahoma would bring. He would get serious consideration for the best jobs available during the next hiring cycle, so expect an incredible gameplan from him. The Sooners have a major talent advantage, and that will eventually carry the day, but the Owls will easily cover per the CFB betting odds.
College Football Odds: Oklahoma 38, Florida Atlantic 30
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