The Oklahoma Sooners won’t be taking the Iowa State Cyclones lightly any time soon. Iowa State dealt Oklahoma its lone regular season loss last year, stunning the Sooners in Norman 38-31. The loss couldn’t be blamed on an abundance of turnovers or anything particularly sloppy either, it was just the Cyclones beating a Sooners team that had probably been looking past them. Their Week 3 rematch is bound to be pretty interesting as Iowa State fans are eager to see their team try to make it two in a row over the Sooners.
This matchup in Week 3 will take place on Saturday, September 15, 2018 at 12 p.m. ET at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma -17
Iowa State +17
Total 55.5
Odds Analysis
There has been a decent amount of line movement in this game. Oklahoma was originally a 16.5-point favorite once the CFB betting odds were released on Sunday evening, and the Sooners quickly moved up to -18 by Monday afternoon. However, Iowa State bettors couldn’t pass up that price and pushed the line all the way back down to 16.5 over the next 24 hours. The line has moved slightly back up to -17 as of Wednesday morning.
The total has remained constant. Initially, the NCAAF betting total for this game was 55.5 and it has only moved a half-point in either direction.
Player to Watch
Iowa State fans will be closely monitoring the status of starting quarterback Kyle Kempt prior to this one. Kempt is considered questionable to play against Oklahoma after suffering an ankle injury in the second half of Iowa State’s loss to Iowa last week.
Last year, Kempt tore up Oklahoma in his first career start. He went 18 of 24 for 343 yards and three touchdowns against the Sooners defense to stun the Sooners even though the Cyclones were a 30.5-point underdog per the CFB betting line.
The sixth-year senior was replaced by Zeb Noland once he went out of the game against Iowa last week. He had a decent day before his injury, but Noland struggled once he went in. Kempt is like to affect this line by a field goal, so keep an eye on his status.
Matchup to Watch
Kyler Murray has looked sharp through his first two games as Oklahoma’s quarterback. He has completed 63.6 percent of his passes and is averaging 11.7 yards per throw with five touchdowns against just one interception. He has been a lethal option on the ground too, averaging 6.6 yards per carry when he decides to tuck it and run.
However, the Sooners must answer some questions about their ability to run the ball now. Star running back Rodney Anderson was declared out for the season with a knee injury earlier in the week, and the question is who will step up to replace his production.
Oklahoma is averaging 6.7 yards per carry on the ground, but Anderson was the big play threat and was averaging 10.8 yards per carry through two games. Trey Sermon and Marcelias Sutton are going to be the two guys carrying the ball for Oklahoma now, and they will be leaned upon against an Iowa State front that held Iowa to under three yards per carry last week.
Free ATS Pick
It’s always risky to take the under when a high-flying team like Oklahoma is involved in a game, but it’s the right choice in this one. Kempt’s status raises serious questions for Iowa State’s offense, and Oklahoma’s running game might have a hard time getting going in this one. As for a side, the number seems pretty spot on, but I would go with Oklahoma as long as the number was 17 or less. They will be motivated to return the favor in kind in Ames.
College Football Odds: Oklahoma 34, Iowa State 13
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