The No. 9 Texas Longhorns are entering the Big 12 Championship Game as considerable underdogs against the No. 5 Oklahoma Sooners. ABC is scheduled to televise the action and this key afternoon game gets underway at 12:00 p.m. ET. These teams faced off last year with the final outcome being a 29-24 victory for Oklahoma.
Texas Longhorns at Oklahoma Sooners Betting Preview
Texas is a significant underdog in this Big 12 game and is currently getting 8 points. The Longhorns are also receiving +250 moneyline odds while the Sooners are -330. Should one squad catches a lucky break early it’ll generate a worthwhile live betting opportunity. Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 78 points.
Each of these teams has been profitable this season as the Longhorns have gained 2.0 units while the Sooners are ahead 2.0 units.
The Longhorns have gone 9-3 straight up (SU), including 7-2 SU against Big 12 opponents. The Sooners are 11-1 SU overall and are also 8-1 SU in conference play.
The Longhorns are coming off a 24-17 victory over Kansas last week. Sam Ehlinger completed 16 passes for only 154 yards, two scores and two interceptions. Tre Watson (79 rushing yards on 14 attempts) and Keaontay Ingram (51 yards on 13 carries) led the running attack while Collin Johnson (four receptions, 38 yards, one TD) and Devin Duvernay (three catches, 47 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Oklahoma just picked up a 59-56 win over West Virginia. The defense let the Mountaineers pass for 539 yards and four touchdowns while rushing for 165 yards and four scores. Gary Jennings Jr. was on a different level for West Virginia, putting up 225 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches. For Oklahoma, Kyler Murray completed 20-of-27 passes for 364 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Kennedy Brooks (182 yards on 21 rush attempts, one TD) and the signal-caller Murray (114 yards on nine carries, one TD) mounted the running attack as Marquise Brown (11 receptions, 243 yards, two TDs) and CeeDee Lamb (five catches, 53 yards) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Texas has run the ball on 54.3 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Oklahoma has an overall rush percentage of 58.0 percent. The Longhorns have run for 156 yards/game (including 148 per game against Big 12 opponents) and have 19 scores on the ground this year. The Sooners are averaging 264 rush yards per game (276 in conference) and have 39 total rushing TDs.
The Longhorns offensive scheme has averaged 257 yards in the air overall (262 per game versus conference opposition) and has 26 passing TDs so far. The Sooners have put up 319 pass yards per game (336.4 in the Big 12) and have 38 total pass scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, Texas appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed 137 rush yards and 256 pass yards per game. The Oklahoma D has allowed 286.6 yards per game to opposing passers and 162.4 yards per game to opposing runners. The Longhorns are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 6.11 to opposing QBs, while the Sooners have allowed a 7.81 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Ehlinger is up to 2,637 yards this season. He’s connected on 64 percent of his 347 attempts with 22 scores through the air and only four interceptions. Ehlinger has a 7.55 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 4.79 over the last two outings.
For the home team, Kyler Murray has managed to complete 195-of-274 passes for 3,402 yards, 35 TDs and six INTs. Murray’s ANY/A stands at 13.11 for the year and 10.72 over his last two games.
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Notes
Betting Notes
The Texas defense has 28 sacks on the year while Oklahoma has 25.
Both teams have lost five fumbles this year.
The Longhorns offense has produced six pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Sooners have accounted for 20 such plays.
The Texas defense has allowed 13 pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Oklahoma has given up 15 such plays.
The Texas offense has created eight rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Oklahoma has created 35 such runs.
The Longhorns defense has allowed 12 rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Sooners have given up 14 such runs.
The Over/Under for Oklahoma’s last match was set at 87. The over cashed in the team’s 59-56 win over West Virginia.
In its last three contests, Oklahoma is 0-2-1 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
In its last three matches, Texas is 2-1 ATS and the under cashed in two of those three.
The Over/Under for Texas’ last game was set at 51. The under cashed in the team’s 24-17 win over Kansas.
As a team, Texas has rushed for 3.5 yards per attempt over its past three games and 3.7 over its last two.
Oklahoma has averaged 7.6 yards per carry over its last three contests and 7.7 over its last two.
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