College Football Wagering: Kansas State vs. Oklahoma, Texas A&M vs. Alabama
Carrie Stroup here with your College Football wagering for Kansas State vs. Oklahoma and Texas A&M vs. Alabama. Place your 1st bet here and get your 2nd bet FREE up to $100.
#14 KANSAS STATE WILDCATS (4-1) at #11 OKLAHOMA SOONERS (5-1)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Oklahoma -7, Total: 55.5
Opening Line & Total: Oklahoma -8.5, Total: 58.5
No. 14 Kansas State travels to Norman Saturday to take on No. 11 Oklahoma in a game with huge Big 12 implications.
The Wildcats offense has been rolling during a two-game win streak with a combined 103 points and 986 total yards versus UTEP and Texas Tech. The Sooners are coming off a 31-26 victory against Texas, but it was not a great performance, as they won the game despite being outgained 482-232 in total yards and surrendering 344 yards through the air. That could be a big thing to look for against a dynamic Wildcats passing attack that has thrown for more than 235 yards in every game this season. Last season these two teams played in Manhattan, with the Sooners getting the 41-31 victory despite KSU WR Tyler Lockett's monster game of 12 catches for 278 yards and 3 TD.
The last time these two teams played in Norman in 2012, 15.5-point underdog Kansas State pulled off the 24-19 upset win. Wildcats head coach Bill Snyder, who Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops was a former assistant under before getting the job in Norman, has done a good job of getting his teams rolling at the beginning of conference play. The Wildcats are 18-4 ATS in Weeks 5 to 9 since Snyder returned to the sidelines. However, the Sooners are an impressive 9-1 ATS over the past three seasons when the total is between 49.5 and 56 points, outscoring these opponents by an average margin of 41 to 18.
Kansas State will still be without DB Travis Green (leg), while Oklahoma will likely be missing RB Keith Ford (fibula), DE Matt Dimon (elbow) and DT Charles Walker (undisclosed), who are all doubtful to play on Saturday. Sooners WR Derrick Woods is questionable with an undisclosed injury.
The Kansas State offense enters this game ranked 16th in the nation in scoring (40.8 PPG), 46th in rushing (189 YPG) and 51st in passing (255 YPG). Leading the offense is QB Jake Waters (1,206 pass yards, 320 rush yards, 13 total TD), who has taken his game to the next level as the full-time starter. RB Charles Jones (57 carries, 293 yards, 8 TD) has shown the ability to be a terrific player in the red zone. The Wildcats love to run the read-option with the two players, with the option for Waters to also throw out of that formation.
WR Tyler Lockett (29 catches, 399 yards, 3 TD) is one of the elite receivers in the country. However, with defenses keeping a safety over top of him, senior WR Curry Sexton has emerged as a solid second option (28 catches, 335 yards, 2 TD). Both of these receivers have shown the ability to make the tough catches on third down, allowing the Wildcats to stay on the field. The defense has been better than expected, allowing 21.0 PPG (33rd in nation).
The secondary of the Wildcats is one of the best in the conference, as DBs Dante Barnett (31 tackles, 4 TFL) and Randall Evans (27 tackles, 1 INT) are two players who have started many games for Kansas State. DE Ryan Mueller (15 tackles, 4 TFL, 1.5 sacks) is not the most talented player on the team, but his energy allows him to make big plays. DB Danzel McDaniel (16 tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack) is becoming one of the hardest hitters in the country. He is terrific against the run from the secondary, as this unit could have a big influence on this game.
While the Sooners were able to get the victory last week, the offense still has a ways to go. Entering this matchup, they rank 17th in FBS scoring (40.5 PPG), 44th in rushing (191 YPG) and 52nd in passing (254.5 YPG). QB Trevor Knight (1,503 pass yards, 6 TD, 5 INT) was expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but has not taken the next step. While the passing game has been inconsistent, the rushing attack has done a nice job. RB Samaje Perrine (568 rush yards, 5.2 YPG, 9 TD) has emerged as the main runner in this backfield with RB Keith Ford (34 carries, 194 yards, 5 TD) and Alex Ross (37 carries, 201 yards, 3 TD) both dealing with injuries.
One player that has been consistent in the receiving game this season is WR Sterling Shepard (34 catches, 714 yards, 4 TD). He has the chance to score a touchdown every single time he has the ball, but could have problems against a physical secondary. The defense has allowed 21.5 PPG (42nd in nation) on the season, but has also provided some points for the Sooners. CB Zack Sanchez (25 tackles, 8 PD, 5 INT) scored a touchdown in the win against the Longhorns and figures to see a lot of Tyler Lockett in a matchup that could very easily determine who wins the game.
Junior LB Eric Striker (28 tackles, 8.5 TFL) leads the team with 4.5 sacks, giving the Sooners a guy that can put pressure on the quarterback. Both of these offenses have shown the ability to put up a lot of points, and the battle of the defenses will go a long way in determining who gets the win.
#21 TEXAS A&M AGGIES (5-2) at #7 ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE (5-1)
Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Alabama -13.5, Total: 63.5
Opening Line & Total: Alabama -12, Total: 61
In a tough SEC matchup, No. 21 Texas A&M travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 7 Alabama Saturday.
The Aggies opened the 2014 campaign in impressive fashion, as they were 5-0 SU (3-2 ATS) through their first five games before running into the meat of their schedule. They have lost their past two contests, both against top-three teams in the nation (No. 1 Mississippi State and No. 3 Ole Miss), by an average of 16.0 PPG while turning the ball over six times. Last week they were favorites at home against the Rebels, but despite an impressive 455 yards of offense, they fell 35-20 due to three giveaways and a meager 1.5 YPC on 35 rushing attempts.
Alabama was upset when it traveled to Ole Miss a few weeks ago as a four-point favorite, losing by a score of 23-17 and continuing a poor season ATS. Overall the Tide are 1-4-1 ATS after once again failing to cover last week when they barely earned a 14-13 victory as 8.5-point favorites at Arkansas. They have actually lost the turnover battle this year as they have coughed up the pigskin 11 times compared to forcing eight turnovers, and have been held under 4.0 YPC in each of the past two weeks.
This matchup has not failed to live up to the hype in either of the past two seasons, as the road team has come away with a SU victory each time while Texas A&M is 2-0 ATS. Last year, the Crimson Tide were 49-42 victors as eight-point favorites on the road as the teams combined for 62 first downs and a jaw-dropping 1,164 yards of total offense. Bettors should know that Alabama is a meager 22-41 ATS (35%) in home game when coming off one or more consecutive Unders since 1992, while the Aggies are a woeful 1-11 ATS (8%) in road games after gaining 450+ total yards in three consecutive games over the same timeframe. Neither team has any significant injuries to keep an eye on heading into this game.
The Aggies said goodbye to Johnny Manziel this past offseason, but have kept their high-octane passing attack going with 396 YPG through the air (3rd in FBS) while scoring 43.9 PPG (6th in nation). QB Kenny Hill (2,511 pass yards, 23 TD, 7 INT) is to thank for much of the production, as he has thrown for 300+ yards in five of the seven games while passing for at least 365 yards with a total of 10 TD over the past three weeks. His turnovers have been worrisome since facing tougher competition though, as he has all of his seven picks in the past four weeks, including five over the two defeats. The duo of HBs Trey Williams (301 rush yards, 5 TD) and Tra Carson (273 rush yards, 4 TD) mans the backfield, as Carson has tallied double-digit attempts in each of the past two games while not scoring in the past four games. Hill likes to spread the ball around, as six different receivers have 23+ receptions with WR Josh Reynolds (476 rec yards, 8 TD) leading the team in receiving yards and touchdown grabs while averaging 16.4 yards per catch.
One area to be worried about on this team is the defense, as it has allowed 37.0 PPG over the past three weeks and is giving up 397 YPG of total offense to its opponents. The combo of DBs Deshazor Everett (47 tackles, 1 INT) and Howard Matthews (44 tackles, 2.5 TFL) with DL Myles Garrett (33 tackles, 7.5 sacks) should give the team hope for better performances to come.
Alabama is always one of the more balanced offenses in the nation, and this year is no different as it is gaining 288.7 passing YPG (28th in FBS) and 211.3 rushing YPG (30th in nation) while scoring 33.2 PPG. QB Blake Sims (1,480 pass yards, 10 TD, 3 INT) has thrown for more than 250 yards just once on the season, as he has done well keeping the ball out of the defense's hands and also contributes to the rushing attack (154 rush yards, 3 TD). Joining him in the backfield is the impressive tandem of HBs T.J. Yeldon (452 rush yards, 2 TD) and Derrick Henry (382 rush yards, 2 TD) who have each eclipsed the century mark twice this season. WR Amari Cooper has hauled in 54 of the 122 completions on the team (44%) for 768 yards (14.2 avg). But Cooper has failed to crack 100 yards in either of the past two games after averaging 163.8 YPG over the first four.
As usual, the Crimson Tide defense has been stout, allowing a mere 15.3 PPG (6th in nation) to their opponents behind the play of DB Landon Collins (46 tackles, 2 INT) and DL Xzavier Dickson (20 tackles, 5 sacks).
- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter
