Oklahoma Looks To Solve Tough Cornhuskers Defense

The Sooners (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) lit up Western Carolina for 77 points last week, but Oklahoma should find things a lot more difficult against Nebraska (2-1, 2-1). The Cornhuskers have held seven straight opponents under 400 yards of total offense and have gone UNDER in eight straight on the road.

Sportsbook Odds Analysis

After being favored by an average of 40 points in their first two games, the Sooners opened as “only” three-touchdown chalk against Nebraska. Early support was on Oklahoma and the OVER, moving those respective numbers to 22 and 62 by the time of writing.

Nebraska News & Notes

The Cornhuskers defense couldn’t be playing much better going into its stiff challenge against Oklahoma. In addition to limiting Buffalo to 359 total yards last week, Nebraska’s defense also set up a touchdown by returning an interception to the Buffalo one-yard line.

Nebraska has held each of its last seven opponents under 400 total yards — the Huskers’ longest such streak in more than a decade — and has gone UNDER the total in six of those seven contests.

Nebraska has also gone UNDER in eight straight on the road and five straight as an underdog, although those trends could be in jeopardy if the Huskers continue to produce big plays on offense.

Nebraska had three pass plays that went for more than 50 yards against the Bulls, including a pair of 68-yard TD catches by Samori Toure, and quarterback Adrian Martinez added a 71-yard run.

The Huskers’ weakest unit right now might be their special teams. Placekicker Connor Culp was 0-for-3 on his field-goal attempts last week, and Nebraska’s punt return team has turned the ball over in each of its three games this season.

Oklahoma News & Notes

After letting its foot off the gas down the stretch in a tight season-Sportsbook win over Tulane, Oklahoma played hard until the final gun last week against Western Carolina. The Sooners forced three second-half turnovers and allowed just 178 total yards in their 76-0 rout of the Catamounts, Oklahoma’s largest margin of victory in nearly two decades.

Quarterback Spencer Rattler rebounded from a subpar opener to throw five touchdown passes in just 30 minutes of action against Western Carolina. Two of Rattler’s TD strikes went to Jadon Haselwood, who recorded his first multi-touchdown game of his career. Oklahoma didn’t turn the ball over and punted just once, finishing the game with 624 total yards.

If all of that offense isn’t enough, Oklahoma has another scoring weapon in kicker Gabe Brkic. The redshirt junior blasted his second 56-yard field goal of the season last week and has now hit four field goals of 50 yards or more.

Staff Betting Pick: Nebraska +21.5

Oklahoma’s defense struggled against a mobile quarterback in Week 1 and probably allows enough big plays from Martinez to keep Nebraska within this number, especially if the Huskers defense is solid again.