NCAA Football Betting—Sooners favored to continue Big 12 dominance
- Sooners go for third straight Big 12 title
- Longhorns suffer big losses
- Missouri, Kansas look to follow up big years
The Oklahoma Sooners have won three Big 12 championships in the past four years, and they are the online sportsbook odds on favorites to claim their sixth title since 2000. However, online betting fans know they will face fierce competition from their bitter rivals, the Texas Longhorns, as well as the Missouri Tigers.
Oklahoma is favored at +150, and offense will be the name of the game for the Sooners this season as they return eight starters on that side of the ball. Sam Bradford was brilliant as a freshman, leading the Sooners to the 19th-ranked offense in the country. They may need to be better with only five returning starters on defense, and the exit of Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, linebacker Curtis Lofton.
Texas is not far behind at +200 , but they will have a lot of work to do. The Longhorns lost running back Jamaal Charles and receiver Limas Sweed to the NFL, leaving Colt McCoy with very few options. The defense could be in even worse shape with only four starters coming back to campus in the fall and a new coordinator at the helm. If the Longhorns cannot score points, it could be a long season in Austin. These NCAA football odds of +200 may be far too low for the Longhorns this season.
Missouri is rated at +300 after last season's loss to the Sooners in the Big 12 title game, and with 16 returning starters, there is plenty of experience on the team. Chase Daniel is back to lead a unit that was fifth in the country in total offense, but he will do so behind a ailing offensive line. The defense welcomes back ten starters, and they will be looking to improve on a 59th-place national ranking.
Kansas is listed at +650 after being one of the biggest surprises of last season, as they were one of the few schools to rank in the top ten in both offense and defense. 15 starters are back, including nine on defense, but their schedule is much more difficult this season, and they will not be able to sneak up on anyone.
Texas Tech joins Kansas at +650 , and there may not be a more exciting team in the entire country to watch. Ten starters are back on the most explosive offense in the country, including pivot Graham Harrell. The defense should be improved with eight returning starters, and if the Red Raiders can shore up that side of the ball, they could be this season's success story. At NCAA football betting odds of +650, the Red Raiders are a pretty solid pick.
I am going to go out on a limb and say that Missouri will stop Oklahoma's run in the Big 12. The Sooners have lost too much on defense, and the Tigers are very experienced on both sides of the ball, along with a legitimate Heisman candidate in Daniel.
Here is a complete list of NCAA Football Odds:
Baylor – +6000
Colorado – +1000
Iowa State – +7500
Kansas – +650
Kansas State – +4000
Missouri – +300
Nebraska – +1000
Oklahoma – +150
Oklahoma State – +2500
Texas – +200
Texas A&M – +2000
Texas Tech - +650
Blake walked onto his college football team and had a brief stint as an assistant coach after he graduated. He brings a sharp mind to the world of sports handicapping. Blake understands the nuances of the game that only someone who has played would understand, and he was one of the few who gave the Giants a chance against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. Thoughts or questions?
