The Oklahoma State Cowboys host the Oklahoma Sooners for the latest edition of the Bedlam Series. It's time to continue our college football odds series with an Oklahoma-Oklahoma State prediction and pick.
The Bedlam Series has lasted since 1904. The Sooners won the first matchup 75-0 back when OSU was Oklahoma A&M. Since then, the Sooners have dominated OSU entirely with a 91-19-7 record. Oklahoma got the best of the Cowboys last year when they won 28-13. Now, both teams are ranked and this meeting has a chance to be a big one. The winner will have an opportunity to play in the Big-12 Championship game as both teams are (4-1) in the conference.
The Sooners fell to the Kansas Jayhawks last week in an upset (in most eyes). Kansas is no longer a bottom-of-the-barrel program. They have found ways to win games with a (6-2) record and find themselves ranked 21st. Oklahoma lost their first game of the season and are ranked 9th. Despite beating Texas, they are two ranks below and one behind Alabama.
The Cowboys are (6-2) on the year and are ranked 22nd. OSU beat Kansas early in the season so if they beat Oklahoma this weekend, they are set up nicely for the rest of the season. This team has come a long way since losing to South Alabama 33-7 in Week 4. Their final three games are against the newcomers of the conference … UCF, Houston, and BYU. If OSU wins out then they will play for the conference title.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Odds
Oklahoma: -5.5 (-118)
Oklahoma State: +5.5 (-104)
Over: 61.5 (-118)
Under: 61.5 (-104)
How to Watch Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State Week 10
Time: 3:30 ET/12:30 PT
TV: ABC
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Oklahoma Will Cover The Spread
Oklahoma does not want to leave the conference next season losing to their rivals. They have dominated them over the years but a loss this weekend would leave a scar on the program that chose to leave. To make matters even worse, a loss this weekend would almost assure them of being kicked out of the college football playoff race. They need a bounce-back win desperately. Since beating Texas, they haven't looked like that team that took down the No. 3 team in the nation.
If the Sooners want to cover this spread and win comfortably, the defense must find a way to stop the run. That is the biggest factor in this game for the Sooners. Why? The nation's leading rusher, Ollie Gordon II, will be lining up against them. Gordon II leads the NCAA with 1,077 yards and has 858 yards from scrimmage in the last three weeks. That is a ton of yards in that short span. Gordon II rushed for 271 yards and two touchdowns last week and you can count on OSU feeding him the rock all night long. Oklahoma allowed 225 yards on the ground against Kansas last week. Star linebacker Danny Stutsman is questionable to play with a knee injury. If he is out, the Sooners' defense will struggle.
The good news is that Oklahoma, led by Dillon Gabriel, still have a top-7 offense. They rank 4th in scoring and 7th in total offense. Gabriel has thrown for 2,302 yards and 19 touchdowns and if he plays mistake-free football then the Sooners will be in position to win this game, no matter how many points they allow.
Why Oklahoma State Will Cover The Spread
The Cowboys are going to pound the rock. They will feed Gordon II as many times as they need to if they feel that the Sooners won't stop it. Quarterback Alan Bowman ranks 71st in total QBR, and so they won't rely on him to win the game for them. However, just like Gabriel, if he can keep the turnovers to a minimum then they will score a good amount of points. He only has eight touchdowns on the season but the offense has been rollin' the last four weeks regardless. They have scored at least 29 points in their last four games and have 93 points combined in their last two.
Head coach Mike Gundy knows how good Gabriel is and the potential Heisman candidate can do a lot of great things. Gundy will need his defense to try and force him to commit rare turnovers. Gabriel only has four interceptions on the season and so the Sooners are used to getting points on most possessions. If OSU wants to cover this spread then they must control the clock and keep the Oklahoma offense on the sidelines for as long as possible.
Final Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Prediction & Pick
This will be a close battle in Stillwater as the end of a yearly rivalry will make it more emotional than in years past. The status of Danny Stutsman will be a big one because if he is out, then the Cowboys can run all over the Sooners. Regardless of who wins this game, I like the Cowboys to cover the spread at home with a chance to spoil the Sooners' Championship dreams. There should be a lot of points scored.
Final Oklahoma-Oklahoma State Prediction & Pick: Oklahoma State +5.5 (-104); Over 61.5 (-118)