Sooners Seek Revenge in Big 12 Opener vs K-State

Oklahoma (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) kicks off conference play against a Wildcats squad that upset the Sooners 38-31 last year. Freshman quarterback Spencer Rattler will make his Big 12 starting debut for Oklahoma, which opened as a 27-point favorite to extend its 16-game home winning streak. Kansas State (0-1, 0-1) lost last week as 15.5-point chalk against Arkansas State.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

For the third straight year, Kansas State is an underdog of 20-plus points against the Sooners. The Wildcats have covered seven of their last nine games when catching 20 or more points, including last year’s 48-41 upset in Manhattan. Kansas State has also covered 23 of its last 30 road games against opponents with winning records.

Kansas State News & Notes

Skylar Thompson’s legs were a big factor in Kansas State’s upset of the Sooners last year as the dual-threat QB ran for four touchdowns. Thompson may not be quite as frisky on the ground this week after taking a couple of hard hits in Kansas State’s season-Sportsbook 35-31 loss to Arkansas State.

Thompson actually missed a few plays in that contest before returning, and head coach Chris Klieman noted to reporters that his senior pivot didn’t look as mobile as usual the rest of the way.

K-State also lost center Noah Johnson, free safety Jahron McPherson and strong safety Wayne Jones to injury in the loss to the Red Wolves. Neither Johnson nor McPherson is expected to practice this week, although Jones had not been ruled out for this week as of the time of writing.

If the Wildcats are going to hang in this one with a banged-up quarterback and an inexperienced offensive line (all five starters are new this year), they’ll likely need a big performance from star defensive end Wyatt Hubert. The junior had a sack and 1.5 tackles for a loss in last year’s win over Oklahoma, and he recorded another sack in K-State’s loss to Arkansas State.

Oklahoma News & Notes

Nearly half the roster didn’t dress for Oklahoma’s season opener two weeks ago against Missouri State. Injuries and suspensions were also factors, but COVID-19 contact tracing accounted for the majority of the 50 players who sat out the contest, leaving the Sooners with just 69 players.

Lack of depth didn’t matter against the Bears as Oklahoma rolled to a 48-0 victory, but the Sooners’ injury report is definitely worth monitoring throughout the week. Unfortunately for bettors, Sooners coach Lincoln Riley has told reporters he won’t be sharing COVID-19 testing results with the public.

For the fourth consecutive year, a new quarterback will be under center for the Sooners’ Big 12 opener. Spencer Rattler made his Oklahoma starting debut against Missouri State, lighting up the Bears for 290 yards and four touchdowns in just 30 minutes of action.

He’ll be handed the keys to an Oklahoma attack that has gone OVER the total in six of its last eight home games. The Sooners have averaged nearly a 28-point margin of victory during their 16-game home winning streak.