Oklahoma to Cover, Rout BYU

Oklahoma Could Use Another Big Win

In Week 9, Oklahoma’s undefeated streak ended when it lost to Kansas on the road. In Week 10, the Sooners lost again on the road, this time to ranked Oklahoma State. Those two losses are significant blemishes on the Sooners’ season, which has been pretty good otherwise. A win this week could help them get closer to possibly playing in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Against West Virginia, everything clicked back into place for Oklahoma. The offense came alive, putting up 59 points with 644 yards. The primary catalyst was Dillon Gabriel, who no longer has great college football odds to win the Heisman Trophy but is still putting up big numbers.

Dillon Gabriel tonight vs West Virginia:

♦️ 23/36
♦️ 473 Total YDS
♦️ 8 Total TDS (School Record)
♦️ 0 INTS pic.twitter.com/aA5qUodpba

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 12, 2023

Gabriel had a massive game in the win over West Virginia, accounting for eight scores – three on the ground, and five passing. Gabriel threw for 423 yards on 23-of-36 passing. He also rushed 11 times for 50 yards. It was a complete game for the quarterback while getting some help from running back Gavin Sawchuk, who had 22 carries for 135 yards. Either player could be a great option in college football prop bets on Nov. 18.

After the defense struggled in the two previous losses, Oklahoma figured out how to shut down West Virginia, keeping the Mountaineers to 330 yards and 154 passing. The Sooners did give up 146 rushing yards, but they might not have to worry about that when facing BYU.

BYU Offense Collapsing

Everything has changed in the last three weeks for BYU, which started conference play 2-2. The Cougars have lost the last three games by wide margins, with the offense doing little to nothing to keep them alive. Over these three losses, the Cougars have only scored 26 points, which is why the college football spread is so large for their matchup with Oklahoma.

Part of BYU’s offensive struggles are due to starting quarterback Kedon Slovis missing the last two games. It is unclear if Slovis will play this week, but it is apparent that Jake Retzlaff can not lead this offense. Retzlaff has thrown for 314 yards in his two starts with one touchdown, two interceptions and a completion percentage of 49.3%. Iowa State held the Cougars to 318 total yards, and the offense had three turnovers.

If Slovis does find his way back onto the field to face Oklahoma, it is not clear if that would boost the offense. The Cougars’ offense ranks last in the Big 12 in yards (300) and points (21.9) per game. That is not a recipe for success, especially with Oklahoma’s defense ranked sixth in yards (377.3) and points (19.8) per game.

On top of that, two weeks ago, BYU lost 37-7 to West Virginia, a team that Oklahoma just dominated. That makes it hard for college football betting to have faith in BYU against Oklahoma this week despite being the home team.

Oklahoma vs BYU Betting Odds

Oklahoma vs BYU Best Bet

Oklahoma is the favorite in this game and should easily beat BYU. The question for college football picks is by how much. Despite regularly having pretty sizable spreads, the Sooners have been a top option for betting, going 7-3 against the spread (ATS). A reason for that could be the Sooners’ explosive offense, which got back on track last week just in time to face the Cougars.

College Football Best Bet: Oklahoma -24 -110

Oklahoma vs BYU Game Information

• Game: Oklahoma (8-2) vs BYU (5-5)
• Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium, Provo, UT
• Day/Time: Saturday, Nov. 18, 12:00 p.m. ET
• Oklahoma vs BYU Live Stream: ESPN

Questions of the Day

The odds and predictions in the article are based on the time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.