Two schools that prefer to run the football, Coach Lincoln Riley and the No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners (-37) are gearing up to face the Kansas Jayhawks at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. FOX is scheduled to have the TV rights and this Big 12 game gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Oklahoma Sooners Betting Preview
Oklahoma has been tabbed as heavily favored in this one and is currently giving up 37 points to Kansas. Oddsmakers have set the over/under (O/U) at 68.5 points, and if one school can find paydirt in the early stages, it’ll likely result in a nice betting opportunity in-game.
With the line opening at -35 and the over/under set originally at 68, oddsmakers have shifted this game’s outlook slightly.
The Jayhawks are down 2.6 units so far in 2018 and 5-5 against the spread (ATS). The team has posted an O/U record of 4-5. The Sooners have gained 1.0 unit this season. The team is 4-6 ATS and owns an O/U record of 8-2.
The Jayhawks have gone only 3-7 straight up (SU), including 1-6 SU against conference opponents. The Sooners are 9-1 SU overall and are also 6-1 SU in conference play.
When these two schools faced each other a year ago, Oklahoma won handily 41-3.
Oklahoma enters this matchup on a two-game losing streak while Kansas has come out on top in its last four in a row. The Jayhawks hope to get back on track after a 21-17 loss to Kansas State last week. Peyton Bender completed 21 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns. Pooka Williams Jr. (59 rushing yards on 14 attempts) and Khalil Herbert (53 yards on 10 carries) provided the running attack while Steven Sims Jr. (five receptions, 113 yards, one TD) and Jeremiah Booker (four catches, 35 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the defeat.
Oklahoma just picked up a 48-47 win over Oklahoma State. The defense let the Cowboys pass for 501 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 139 yards and four scores. Tylan Wallace torched the defense, putting up 220 yards and two touchdowns on 10 catches for Oklahoma State. For Oklahoma, Kyler Murray completed 21-of-29 passes for 349 yards and one touchdown. Trey Sermon (124 yards on 16 rush attempts, two TDs) and Kennedy Brooks (165 yards on 15 carries, three TDs) spearheaded the running game while Marquise Brown (eight receptions, 142 yards, one TD) and CeeDee Lamb (three catches, 52 yards) led the receiving attack in the win.
Kansas has run the ball on 51.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Oklahoma has an overall rush percentage of 58.2 percent. The Jayhawks have rushed for 142 yards/game (including 106 per game versus Big 12 opponents) and have nine touchdowns on the ground this year. The Sooners are totaling 257 rushing yards per game (270 in conference) and have 31 total rush TDs.
It appears that the Sooners could hold an edge when it comes to efficiency in the ground game, as their running backs has generated 6.8 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 3.6 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Jayhawks have recorded 4.0 yards per carry while allowing a YPC of 4.2 to opponents.
The Jayhawks offensive scheme has averaged 197 yards through the air overall (213 per game against conference opposition) and has 16 passing scores so far. The Sooners have put up 320 pass yards per game (341.7 against Big 12 competition) and have 33 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Kansas has let opponents run for an average of 162 yards and throw for 254 yards per game. The Oklahoma D has given up 272.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 143.6 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Jayhawks have given up an ANY/A of 6.87 to opposing QBs, while the Sooners are yielding an ANY/A of 7.34.
Passing-wise, Bender has put up 1,383 yards this season, and has completed 58 percent of his 218 attempts with 12 scores through the air and only two interceptions. Bender’s got a 5.81 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 5.59 over the last two outings.
Kyler Murray has connected on 155-of-212 passes for 2,678 yards, 29 TDs and three INTs for Oklahoma. His ANY/A sits at 13.65 for the season and 9.99 over his past two outings.
NCAA Pick: Kansas Jayhawks at Oklahoma Sooners
SU Winner – Oklahoma, ATS Winner – Kansas, O/U – Over
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
The Oklahoma offense has lost three fumbles this season while Kansas has lost seven.
The Oklahoma defense has sacked opposing QBs 22 times this season. Kansas has registered 18 sacks.
Kansas has rushed for 2.8 yards per attempt across its last three contests and 3.5 over its last two.
Oklahoma has averaged 7.7 yards per carry over its last three outings and 7.4 over its last two.
Over its last three matches, Oklahoma is 1-2 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Kansas’ last game was set at 45.5. The under cashed in the team’s 21-17 defeat to Kansas State.
In its last three matchups, Kansas is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Oklahoma’s last outing was set at 79. The over cashed in that 48-47 victory over Oklahoma State.
Kansas has lost seven of its last eight games SU, with a one-point victory over TCU on October 27th representing the only win over that stretch.
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