Is Oklahoma a Safe Week 7 Pick in the College Football Odds vs. Texas?

Is Oklahoma a Safe Week 7 Pick in the College Football Odds vs. Texas?

Written by on October 10, 2017

The Red River Shootout between Oklahoma and Texas is one of the great regular-season spectacles in college football as 50 percent of the Cotton Bowl in Dallas is made up of Oklahoma fans and 50 rooting for the Horns. The College Football odds are looking pretty interesting for this matchup. The No. 12 Sooners are just over TD favorites on the NCAAF odds.

Oklahoma at Texas Week 7 College Football Odds & Expert Prediction

When: Saturday, 3:30 PM ET Where: Cotton Bowl, Dallas TV: ESPN Stream: WatchESPN Radio: KOKC AM 1520 (Oklahoma) / 104.9 FM (Texas) Opening College Football Odds: OU -7.5

Series History

This is always played the second weekend of the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The Red River Rivalry trophy has been exchanged between the two student governments since 2003. The governor of Texas and governor of Oklahoma also exchange the Governors’ trophy. Oklahoma and Texas are tied in the post-World War II (1946 to 2016) series 34-34-3. Since 1936, the first year of the AP Poll, at least one of the teams has come into the game ranked 68 times, including every one of the last 17 meetings. Texas leads the series 61-45–5. However, in the last 33 meetings, Oklahoma leads 18-13-2. Last year, OU won a 45-40 shootout.  In the Big 12 Era, OU is 12-9 (.571) against the Longhorns. The Sooners have won five of the last seven meetings. Each of the last three OU-Texas games have been decided by seven or fewer points (and by a total of 17 points).
  • Total Meetings: 111
  • First Meeting: October 10th, 1900. Austin, Texas
  • Last Meeting: October 8th, 2016. Dallas, Texas
  • All-Time Series: Texas 61-45-5
  • Largest Margin of Victory: Oklahoma 65-13 (2003)
  • Longest Win Streak: Texas 8 (1940-1947)
  • Current Win Streak: Oklahoma 1 (2016)

NCAAF Lines for Must Bet Games in Week 7

Why Bet On Oklahoma?

The Sooners dropped from No. 3 to No. 12 in the AP poll following a stunning 38-31 home loss to Iowa State as a 31-point favorite on Saturday – the seventh straight season that OU has lost a game in which it was a double-digit favorite. Entering Saturday’s game, OU was 45-1-1 in its previous 47 meetings against Iowa State. Since 1961, the Cyclones’ only win against the Sooners had been a 33-31 victory in 1990 in Norman. The loss ended the nation’s longest active winning streak at 14 straight. It also ended OU’s 18-game winning streak against the Cyclones, which was its longest active winning streak against any opponent. Also gone is the Sooners’ 17-game winning streak in the Big 12 Conference. Baker Mayfield completed 24 of 33 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 57 yards and another score on 11 carries. He has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 31 straight games, extending his own school record. Mayfield has thrown at least two TD passes in 18 consecutive games (55 TDs to 8 INTs during the stretch), which is the longest in Big 12 history, breaking the mark of 17 held by Sam Bradford. Mayfield attempted 185 passes and thrown 20 touchdowns since his last interception, which came seven games ago in the third quarter at West Virginia last year.

Who Well Has Baker Mayfield Done with Oklahoma?

His 363 yards of total offense gave him 12,461 for his career, surpassing Texas Tech’s Kliff Kingsbury (12,263) for seventh in Big 12 history. His 57 yards rushing ranks fifth most in a single game in his career. Also, his 656 OU career rushing yards is the best by a Sooner quarterback since 2000. Mayfield has accounted for 16 TDs (15 passing) without a turnover this season and leads the country in completion percentage (74.6), pass efficiency rating (214.1; next best in Power 5 is 186.2) and yards per pass attempt (12.2). Oklahoma has scored at least 30 points in the last 15 games. It is the longest streak of 30-plus-point performances in school history (previous was 13 straight games in 2008). The Sooners are averaging 45.9 points (688) points during that stretch.

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 44.60
  • Total Yards: 588.8
  • Rush Yards: 204.40
  • Passing Yards: 384.40
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 23.20
  • Total Yards: 356
  • Rush Yards: 123.60
  • Passing Yards: 232.40

Why Bet On Texas?

The Horns (3-2) beat Kansas State 40-34 in double overtime. An offensive line short on experience paved the way for the Texas to average six yards per play on 91 snaps. Left tackle Denzel Okafor and center Terrell Cuney made their first career starts. While the scrambling ability of Sam Ehlinger (107 net rushing yards) certainly took some pressure off of the O-Linemen, Ehlinger toted the rock 20 official times and threw 50 passes without ever taking a sack. In just his third career start, Ehlinger completed 30-of-50 passes, two touchdowns and a Longhorn true freshman record 380 yards. He added 107 yards rushing, also a record for a Longhorn true freshman quarterback. Texas outgained Kansas State 546-394, had 32 first downs, the second time this season UT has topped 30, and converted on 8-of-15 third-down attempts. Is Texas a safe bet in the College Football odds for Week 7?

How Well Has the Defense Done This Season?

After allowing 51 points in the season opener, the Texas defense has allowed just 68 points in the last four games combined, which includes two double overtime games. The Longhorns are allowing just 23.8 points per game this season, fourth-best in the Big 12. The Longhorns rank ninth nationally in third-down defense, first nationally in fourth-down defense and first nationally in defensive TDs scored.  Over the last four games, Texas’ defense is allowing 17.0 points per game, 322.3 total yards per game and just 65.8 rushing yards per game. Texas’ Tom Herman and Oklahoma’s Lincoln Riley both make their head coaching debuts in the Red River Showdown. UT head coaches are 15-6-2 all-time in their first games against OU, including 2-0-1 when matching up against a first-year Sooner head coach. Saturday’s matchup is the fourth time, and the first since 1947, in which both head coaches are in their first season at the school when entering the game.

Team Statistics

Offense:
  • Average Score For: 35.60
  • Total Yards: 464
  • Rush Yards: 175.80
  • Passing Yards: 288.20
Defense:
  • Average Score Against: 23.80
  • Total Yards: 354.2
  • Rush Yards: 249
  • Passing Yards: 105.20

Latest College Football Odds Trends

  • Texas is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 games
  • Texas is 2-5 SU in the last 7 games when playing Oklahoma
  • The total went UNDER in 10 of Texas’s last 12 games
  • Oklahoma is 7-2 ATS in the last 9 games
  • Oklahoma is 14-1 SU in the last 15 games
  • The total went OVER in 5 of Oklahoma’s last 7 games when playing Texas

Expert Prediction & College Football Odds Pick for Week 7

The home team has won each of the last five matchups and seven of the last eight. Texas is the designated home team this season. Take the points in the College Football odds.