The Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma Sooners head into the conference championship week with a shot at making the College Football Playoff, thanks in part to the Alabama Crimson Tide’s loss to Auburn over the weekend. But first, they have to deal with each other and get a win keep the hope alive.
Betting on the Baylor Bears (11-1 Overall / 8-1 Conference)
Forgive the Bears if they looked sleepy following their 61-6 win over the Kansas Jayhawks on the road last Saturday. Instead, blame the Jayhawks for being nothing more than a punching bag for the Bears to use in preparation for the Big 12 title. Baylor’s rushing attack was humming and rolling unimpeded in the Kansas game, as the Bears picked up 264 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 47 rushing attempts. Running back JaMycal Hasty led the team with 92 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 14 carries. McHasty only rushed for 42 yards in the 34-31 loss in Waco to the Sooners in the regular season, but he only took three carries in that game. With the momentum he has and the efficiency that he showed in the loss to Oklahoma, perhaps Baylor will feed him the rock more in the rematch. That would also mean fewer opportunities to run for Baylor quarterback Charlie Brewer, who passed for two touchdowns with an interception and finished with 194 passing yards on 18-of-29 completions and also rushed for 65 yards and a pair of TDs on 17 carries in the first meeting with Oklahoma. In that case, Brewer can focus more on opening Oklahoma’s defense by establishing the pass early.
The Bears are 4-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last four games overall.
Betting on the Oklahoma Sooners (11-1 Overall / 8-1 Conference)
If you think that the Sooners’ offense is all about Jalen Hurts, you have to reconsider that thought. Especially after running back Kennedy Brooks ran all over the Oklahoma State Cowboys last Saturday in the Sooners’ 34-16 win. Brooks racked up 160 rushing yards and a touchdown on 22 carries for an average of 7.3 yards per rushing attempt. Brooks also had success in the win over Baylor, as he had 93 rushing yards on 18 carries in that game, while Hurts paced the Sooners with 114 rushing yards on 27 carries. Hurts was the one, however, who hurt (pun intended) the Bears the most. The Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback went 30 for 42 for 297 yards and four touchdowns against an interception against the Bears. With Hurts running the show and him having a talented wide receiver in Ceedee Lamb, the Sooners can make Baylor honest on defense, as the Bears can’t focus too much on stopping Hurts and company on ground knowing Lamb can damage them through the air. If the Big 12 title comes down to which team will be better in kicking field goals and extra points, the Sooners have the edge, as kicker Gabe Brkic has yet to miss a field goal or a extra-point attempt this season.
The under is 3-0 in the Sooners’ last three games.
