Texas vs. Oklahoma Total Prediction
The top teams in the Big 12 meet on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. ET in the Red River Rivalry as Texas plays Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl. Will this year’s installment turn into a high-scoring affair?
Game Snapshot
398 Texas Longhorns at 397 Oklahoma Sooners
12:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, October 6, 2018
Cotton Bowl, Dallas, Texas
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Sooners are 8-point favorites to beat the Longhorns. The total, meanwhile, sits at 61 points. As of this writing, 61% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Sooners.
Texas Longhorns
Texas sophomore QB Sam Ehlinger completed 29-of-36 passes for 208 yards and a touchdown in Saturday’s 19-14 win over Kansas State. Ehlinger (6’3/235) added 26 yards rushing on the afternoon. The sophomore signal-caller has been turning in these kinds of modest performances throughout the season, but even by his somewhat muted standards, Saturday was a bit of a letdown. He entered action this weekend having tossed exactly two touchdown passes in each of Texas’ first four games of the campaign, with rushing touchdowns scored in each of the last three contests. Ehlinger will need to have a big game against Oklahoma next weekend if the Longhorns are to pull off a Red River Rivalry upset.
Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma redshirt junior QB Kyler Murray completed 17-of-21 passes for 432 yards and six touchdowns in Saturday’s 66-33 demolition of Baylor. He also ran for 45 yards and a seventh score. Murray did not start the game as punishment for being late to Friday’s practice. He entered to begin the team’s second offensive series. From there, he lit up Baylor on nearly every series he participated in. Murray may be headed to the Oakland A’s to begin a professional baseball career after this season, but his athleticism and arm talent play just as well on the gridiron. He’s officially entered the Heisman race as a legitimate contender.
Betting Trends
Texas
The under is 44-19 in the Longhorns’ last 63 games overall.
Oklahoma
The over is 5-1 in the Sooners’ last six games overall.
Prediction
Murray didn’t even start last week and he still threw for over 400 yards and six touchdowns. Incredible. Texas has a stout defense but Murray is too talented and Lincoln Riley’s system is too good to be slowed down by Big 12 defenses (even the better ones). Meanwhile, Oklahoma is undefeated but its defense is still allowing 405.2 yards per game. While the Sooners have been stout on the ground, they rank 97th in passing. This Longhorns offense is not explosive but I see both teams moving the ball consistently on Saturday and eventually hitting the over.
College Football Prediction: Texas/Oklahoma over 61