The Oklahoma Sooners need to bounce back after an unexpectedly tough win as they bring an explosive Baylor Bears team to Norman in a Big 12 matchup.
It’s safe to say that very few outside of West Point expected the Oklahoma Sooners to find themselves in overtime against Army last week. While Lincoln Riley’s sixth-ranked team in the country was able to secure the victory, it undoubtedly was still a shock for it to be that close. There’s no time to dwell on that, however, as they now face a tough Big 12 matchup in Norman against the Baylor Bears.
Kyler Murray has been in the Heisman Trophy conversation this season after taking over the Oklahoma offense in the wake of Baker Mayfield’s departure for the NFL. Saturday’s game, however, could be a proving ground for the two-sport star most likely destined for Major League Baseball next year.
The quarterback has athleticism to spare and an arm that no one can question. Having said that, he hasn’t been wholly consistent this season in regards to stepping up consistently, which is partially why Army was able to compete with this team. In a matchup that has shootout potential, Murray has to be on the ready and make explosive plays from start to finish.
Led by quarterback Charlie Brewer, it’s clear that Baylor isn’t one of the best teams in the country, but the 3-1 Bears are also just as obviously not a team that can be taken lightly. They have an explosive offense, which they want to use to score quickly, tire out defenses and force opposing offenses to match. The Sooners have the firepower to do that, but the question will be if they’re ready to step up to the task.
TV and Game Info
Date: Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018
Start Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Norman, OK
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: FuboTV, WatchESPN
If you’re looking to wager on this game, you have to have a big pause looking at how heavily the Sooners are favored on Saturday. That’s not because they aren’t the better of the two teams in the matchup, but after what happened against Army, you have to worry that there is high variance with this team.
Betting Odds (via Odds Shark)
Point Spread: Oklahoma -23.5
Moneyline: Oklahoma -2050, Baylor +1550
Over/Under: 67.5
Prediction
At the end of the day, this Oklahoma team is just far too talented for the Bears to be able to keep up with them. What’s more, I’m sure that Riley has been using last week to light a fire under this Sooners team. While I still think that Baylor’s offense is talented enough to not get shutout or anything of the sort, the home team should ultimately come away with a comfortable victory.
Final Score: Baylor 24, Oklahoma 49