Alamo Bowl Betting – Arizona vs. Oklahoma State Could Easily Become A Shootout
The Arizona Wildcats are only 7-5. The Oklahoma State Cowboys are 10-2. Both teams, however, are in position to score big as they meet in San Antonio, Texas.
NCAA football betting: Arizona Wildcats vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
Online Betting Odds: Oklahoma State -5
Why To Bet On Arizona
The emergent reason why Arizona could very well swoop into Texas and pull the upset is something that is particular to bowl games as a whole. In bowl games, coaching changes and transitions often reshape the chemistry in the locker room of the affected team. In this game, Oklahoma State is the ballclub that’s been forced to deal with the loss of a leader. Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who turned OSU’s offense into the second-best passing offense and the third-highest scoring offense in the United States this past season, is off to West Virginia to be the offensive coordinator in 2011 and then the head coach in 2012. Holgorsen’s move to the Big East, after just one year in Stillwater, leaves the Cowboys in a tactically and emotionally vulnerable position.
Everyone on Oklahoma State’s offense grew to trust and believe in Holgorsen’s ability to script plays and put people in position to succeed. With that presence now lacking in the OSU camp, the Cowboys will be lacking their elite play caller, the man most responsible for their surprising and overachieving 10-2 season. The Cowboys’ level of focus and motivation could easily be hijacked in this game, while an Arizona team that plummeted to 7-5 in a disappointing regular season could find new life and inspiration on the gridiron. Forget the records of the two teams; Arizona is likely to be the more motivated team.
Why To Bet On Oklahoma State
Motivation can’t eliminate certain problems for Arizona. The Wildcats will have a very hard time stopping Justin Blackmon, voted the winner of the Biletnikoff Award, which is given to the best receiver in the United States. Blackmon is a matchup nightmare for opposing corners and safeties. His long frame and muscular prowess in one-on-one situations will make it relatively easy for OSU head coach Mike Gundy – formerly the play caller for the Cowboys – to fill in for Holgorsen and call the shots… shots that will go downfield to Blackmon’s waiting hands. Oklahoma State does not need to complicate its playbook with the weapons it still owns.
Inside the climate-controlled environment of the Alamo Dome, the Cowboys can still expect to make plays against a mediocre Arizona team that just doesn’t play up to expectations. Arizona was 7-1 through October but then lost its final four regular-season games to finish at 7-5. Even if Arizona is motivated, one wonders if the Wildcats can sustain excellence for very long.
How The Game Will Play Out
Arizona will score a lot, and there will be a few occasions in this game when Oklahoma State will wobble. However, this is a game between an underachieving team and an overachieving team. Moreover, Holgorsen’s loss is mitigated by the fact that Gundy is comfortable as a play caller in his own right. OSU’s head coach will fill in for OSU’s departing offensive coordinator and make the Cowboys comfortable. Take Oklahoma State, even though Arizona could definitely surprise some people if things break right for the Wildcats.
Alamo Bowl Betting Pick: Oklahoma State
