Lincoln Riley will look to lead his Oklahoma Sooners to their third-straight appearance in the College Football Playoff. Typically, the defending Big 12 champs open their season with an early-season test, and this year will be no different going up against the Houston Cougars.
Houston Betting Form
Quarterback D’Eriq King had 50 touchdowns in 11 games last season, so it’ll be interesting to see how this dual-threat menace does against the Sooners. While Oklahoma is always a tough matchup, putting points on the board never seems to be an issue. Houston’s high-flying offense can definitely make this a back-and-forth battle, making it important for them to keep pace with the other outstanding offense on the other side of the field.
Oklahoma Betting Form
Each of the last two Oklahoma quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray, have won the Heisman Trophy winner after transferring to the program. Now, Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts will be looking to do the same in his first year in Norman. Playing in this Oklahoma system is more about timing and making the right reads, rather than being an all-world quarterback. Expect Riley to call enough plays that utilize Hurts’ talents, while also giving the Sooners enough firepower to put points on the board.
Betting Pick: Over 80
While 80 points is a lot to cover, there’s a reason why the total is set to that. Both of these offenses have plenty of punch, and the word “defense” shouldn’t come up too often in this discussion. Look for both sides to move the ball with ease, while giving the national TV audience a bit of whiplash moving the ball up and down the field.
