Oklahoma owns the bragging rights in the Bedlam Series with Oklahoma State, winning 79 of 104 meetings overall and 11 of the last 13. But the Cowboys are tying to turn this rivalry around, winning two of the last five meetings outright and going 3-2 against the spread. In the game that will decide the Big 12 Championship the Sooners battle Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon in Norman.
Point spread: The Sooners opened as 14-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 48.8-37.8 Sooners (College football picks on every game)
Why the Oklahoma State Cowboys can cover the spread
The Cowboys ride a seven-game winning streak into Bedlam, following a 31-6 triumph over TCU two weeks ago. OSU then enjoyed last week off.
Oklahoma State spotted the Horned Frogs the game’s first touchdown and only led 10-6 at the half. But the Cowboys then won the second half 21-0, roping an outright victory as six-point underdogs. On the day, OSU piled up 541 yards of offense, including 334 on the ground, as both Justice Hill and Chris Carson hit the 100-yard mark. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma State defense held the TCU offense 170 yards below its season average.
The Cowboys are now 4-1 ATS on the college football lines over their last five games, which includes a 3-0 ATS run on the road.
At 7-1 in conference play, Oklahoma State trails first-place Oklahoma by one game in the Big 12 race. A victory Saturday would give the Cowboys their second conference title in the last six seasons.
Why the Oklahoma Sooners can cover the spread
The Sooners cart an eight-game winning streak into this Bedlam bout after wasting West Virginia two weeks ago 56-28. They also then enjoyed last week off.
Oklahoma scored four minutes into the game to take a 7-0 lead on the Mountaineers, bumped that to 21-0 by the end of the first quarter and 34-0 late in the second, before allowing West Virginia to score. The Sooners later permitted the Mountaineers to claw back 41-28 with 10 minutes to go but tacked on a couple more touchdowns to secure the victory and the cover as four-point favorites on the road.
On the night, Oklahoma racked up 485 yards of offense, including 316 on the ground, as running backs Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon combined for 307 and three touchdowns. The Sooners also dominated time of possession by a 40/20 margin.
At 8-0 in conference play, OU wins a second straight Big 12 title with a victory Saturday. And at 9-2 overall, the Sooners still cling to slim hopes of making the College Football Playoff.
Smart pick
Oklahoma owns an advantage with its running game, and for what could be a sloppy Saturday in Norman, that could be huge. Also, the Sooners come in at just over plus-120 yards per game in Big 12 play, with Oklahoma State at just over plus-50. The smart money here at online sports betting sites sides with Oklahoma.
Betting trends
Oklahoma State is 3-8 ATS in its last 11 games against Oklahoma.
The total has gone over in three of Oklahoma State’s last four games against Oklahoma.
Oklahoma State is 6-0 SU in its last six games after winning as an underdog.
All college football lines and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the Odds Shark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
