The Oklahoma Sooners may be, and they actually are, NCAA football betting favorites against the Iowa State Cyclones, but that doesn’t mean the Oklahomies are taking anything for granted. “We’re going to get their best shot,” OU starting quarterback Baker Mayfield said ahead of the game. “We’re going to get everybody’s best shot.” Hey, that’s just Payin’ the Cost to Be the Boss. Both Sooners and Cyclones are coming off closer-than-expected-but-quite-un-upset contests.
Be our best. Every. Week.
More ?➡️ https://t.co/i76hgFDuXI pic.twitter.com/2bKtLkhq2B
— Oklahoma Football (@OU_Football) October 2, 2017
- Date: October 7
- Time: 12:05 PM
- Venue: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, Oklahoma
- Online Sportsbook College Football Wagering Odds:
Iowa State +28 (-110) 69 (-110) +3000
Oklahoma -28 (-110) 69 (-110) -7000
Hell is for Children
The Sooners have, as George Stoia of OU Daily points out, a target on their collective back. Oklahoma has won 14 games in a row and has not lost in conference play since 2015. They are, additionally, averaging 56 points and 653 yards of offense this season. Their secret? “Taking it one week at a time,” Mayfield said. “I think a singular focus and not worrying about – yeah we have big aspirations of playoffs and national titles, but to get there you have to take it one week at a time.” The closest OU has come to losing has been an ATS loss against Baylor on September 23rd (the Sooners were on bye last week), in which Oklahoma allowed a season-high 41 points and failed to win, for the first time this year, by double digits, though they still, of course got the SU win. it was, all things considered, a throwback to the Sooners’ meeting with the Cyclones from last season, wherein Iowa State held OU to their lowest score total of the season in the Big 12, with 34 points, which, even though it sufficed to pick up the W, it still mean the Sooners failed to cover the NCAA football betting spread.
You Better Run
The Cyclones managed, speaking of losing by 10 points, to hang with Texas on Thursday’s 7-17 loss to the Longhorns. The offense was, however, every bit as bad as the defense was, neglecting the running game and gaining just 256 total yards. QB Jacob Park was hurried six times and sacked four, and while that can be chalked up to the offensive line (or lack thereof), the fact remains that Park also threw three of his five picks this season against Texas. So, in a vacuum, the offense was a non-entity, but looking at the big picture, the 2017 Cyclones have tied a school record with three 40-point games in a season and are one win short of matching their win total from last season. Park, meanwhile, has three 300-yard passing games and has thrown nine touchdowns. Therefore, if the offense shows up against the Sooners, it still may not be enough to beat Oklahoma for the first time since the days of the Big 8, but it could contribute to the NCAA football betting going over, as it has done in four of their last five encounters.