BYU vs #20 Oklahoma State Prediction & Best Bets: Will the Cowboys Clinch a Spot in the Big 12 Championship Game?

Texas and Oklahoma are waving goodbye to the Big 12 after this season, but before they head off to the SEC, there’s a chance that they could have one final Big 12 Championship Game matchup. To squash that possibility, Oklahoma State needs to take care of business at home against BYU this afternoon (3:30 pm ET, ABC).

Texas (11-1, 8-1 Big 12), who finished their conference schedule with a 57-7 win over Texas Tech on Friday night, has already locked up one spot in next week’s Big 12 title tilt at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

But who will take the other spot? The Sooners (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) wrapped up with a 69-45 win over TCU on Friday afternoon, and Kansas State (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) could also finish 7-2 in conference play if they defeat Iowa State in Manhattan tonight (8:00 pm ET, FOX).

Bet on BYU vs Oklahoma State and More at BetDSI

However, with a win over the Cougars (5-6, 2-6 Big 12), the Cowboys (8-3, 6-2 Big 12) will lock in a matchup with the Longhorns, by virtue of their wins over OU and K-State.

Could BYU spoil a celebratory Saturday for Oklahoma State? The Cougars need a win to finish their first year in the Big 12 with bowl eligibility, but after a promising start, they have faltered in the second half of the season and face long odds to get the win they need to help themselves and Oklahoma.

BYU vs Oklahoma State Odds

Odds are courtesy of Bovada.

Spread

• BYU +16 (-110)
• Oklahoma State -16 (-110)

Over/Under

• Over 56 (-110)
• Under 56 (-110)

Moneyline

• BYU +550
• Oklahoma State -850

Can BYU Bottle Up Gordon?

A big reason why the Cougars head into Stillwater needing to pull a big upset to become bowl eligible is a struggle to stop the run in conference play.

BYU has one of the more porous run defenses in college football, allowing 4.9 yards per attempt and 177.3 yards per game.

Now, they did do a pretty decent overall job against Oklahoma last week, allowing 144 yards on 34 attempts, an average of 4.2 yards per attempt. But 107 of those yards came from Gavin Sawchuk, who compiled those yards on only 14 attempts, an average of 7.6 yards per attempt.

In eight conference games, BYU has allowed five or more yards per attempt six times, and they have allowed 200+ rushing yards four times.

To date, the only time that the Cougars have won when allowing five or more yards per attempt and/or 200+ rushing yards is a 35-27 win over Cincinnati, who will finish all alone in the conference cellar if they lose to Kansas today, on September 29.

None of that bodes well at all for this matchup, given that the Cougars are going up against Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon III.

Two weeks ago, Gordon saw his run of six straight 100-yard games end when he was held to 25 yards on 12 carries in an ugly loss at UCF. But he responded by racking up 164 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries in the Cowboys’ 43-30 win at Houston last weekend. It was his fourth time rushing for 150+ yards this season, and it was his fifth multi-touchdown game of the season.

BYU vs Oklahoma State Prediction and Best Bets

Prediction: Oklahoma State to win

Best Bets: Oklahoma State -16 (-110 at Bovada) & Ollie Gordon III over 132.5 rushing yards (-115 at Bovada)

While the Cougars have a tall task to keep Gordon subdued, they could make things a little nervy in Stillwater if they can get another big game from RB Aidan Robbins.

The six-foot-three, 240-pound Robbins, a transfer from UNLV, missed four games due to a rib injury suffered early in the season. But he was key to BYU putting a scare into Oklahoma last week, running for 182 yards on 22 attempts.

But one man alone won’t be enough for the Cougars to scare the Cowboys like they did the Sooners, as BYU’s defense is unlikely to be up to the task of stopping Gordon.

Also, while he hasn’t been the picture of consistency this season, Oklahoma State QB Alan Bowman has been at his best at home in Big 12 action.

• Home (Big 12 games only): 92 of 152 (60.5%), 1191 yards, 4 TD, INT
• Away (Big 12 games only): 95 of 163 (58.3%), 1061 yards, 6 TD, 7 INT

Bowman is coming off of one of his better performances of the season as well, as he was 29 of 43 for a season-high 348 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception at Houston.

This one could be interesting for a while, but I think BYU’s defense will break a few times too many for the upset to have a real chance to come to fruition.

Where to Bet on College Football

Most top online sportsbooks offer a wide variety of college football odds throughout the season.

In addition to being able to make weekly college football picks all the way from Week Zero to the College Football Playoff National Championship, you can also bet on Heisman Trophy odds, conference championship odds, win totals, and much more.

There are plenty of sports betting sites you can choose from that are good for college football betting. Below are some of the books that we highly recommend:

• BetDSI
• BetOnline
• BetUS
• Bookmaker
• MyBookie
• Sportsbetting.ag

If you don’t have an account at a book on this list, check out our reviews to help you determine if it is worth your interest and your betting funds.

Other College Football Content

• Texas A&M vs LSU Prediction & Best Bets
• College Football Betting Guide
• College Football Picks for This Week
• This Week’s College Football Odds
• College Football Week 13 Preview
• Beat the Line: College Football Week 13 Early Odds
• Weekly College Football Predictions, Best Bets & Analysis