Missouri at Oklahoma
Saturday, Nov. 22
12 p.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific
ABC
Missouri-Oklahoma has suddenly risen to the forefront of the college football landscape. A month or even a few weeks ago, it didn’t figure to be such a big game, but now it is. The Oklahoma Sooners, with road wins over Tennessee and Alabama in the past month, have rocketed to the forefront of the College Football Playoff conversation in the SEC. Brent Venables has not gotten a lot out of his offense, which has been relatively ordinary, but his defense has been so good and so strong that it hasn’t mattered. Oklahoma was able to beat Alabama on the road despite a modest offensive output because the defense was able to score or directly set up points on multiple occasions. A pick-six plus a takeaway in Alabama territory enabled Oklahoma to score without the offense having to do much. The Sooners limited Alabama to 21 points, but when you add in the pick-six and the other points the OU defense created for the team, Oklahoma essentially allowed a net of under 12 points to Bama. Venables created a masterpiece as a head coach. Now Oklahoma is playing for big stakes entering the final weeks of the regular season.
Missouri-Oklahoma takes center stage while other SEC teams play cupcakes
Sooners have a direct path to the College Football Playoff
Because the other prominent SEC teams are playing paycheck games this weekend – Alabama versus Eastern Illinois, Georgia versus Charlotte, Texas A&M versus Samford – this is the biggest SEC game on the schedule alongside Arkansas-Texas. The calculus is very simple: If Oklahoma wins this game and then handles LSU the week after – both at home – the Sooners will be part of the playoff at 10-2. Their high-end wins and their impressive road wins will not leave them outside the candy store. They will get inside, all while other SEC bubble teams will be locked out of the playoff. It’s a simple path for Oklahoma, but with the Sooners’ offense struggling, the actual process of winning these final two games might not be as smooth and comfortable as they might want.
Missouri Tigers-Oklahoma Sooners odds
Hear TJ Rives and Jason Powers break down this game on the 3Dog Thursday Podcast by clicking Play below:
Missouri +7.5 (-110) Oklahoma -7.5 (-110)
Over 41.5 (-110) Under 41.5 (-110)
Underdog moneyline: Missouri +240
It’s easy to fall in love with the Oklahoma defense, but not necessarily with the Oklahoma offense. The Sooner defense will ensure this game does not spiral out of control, but if the OU offense labors against Missouri’s defense, this contest could remain close for the duration. The natural lean here, then, is for Missouri to cover the 7.5 points, but since Oklahoma is the better team, playing at home, with a fierce crowd at its back and very high stakes on the line, this seems like a game in which you should wait for the first 15 to 20 minutes to unfold. Then consider a live play with an adjusted line which gives you a better chance to win.