In one of the first games to kick off the college football slate on Saturday, the Texas Longhorns (3-2) and Oklahoma Sooners (3-2) will renew their rivalry in the Red River Showdown at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX (noon ET, ABC). Neither of these teams has played great to start the season, however, records go out the window when it comes to these current Big 12 (and future SEC) rivals.
Texas currently leads the all-time series over Oklahoma with a record of 60-25-5, but the Sooners have won the past four matchups, including the 2018 Big 12 Championship Game. Last season, Oklahoma defeated Texas in a classic shootout 55-48. The quarterbacks stole the show, as both Caleb Williams and Casey Thompson were going shot for shot.
This season, the Longhorns have a new starting quarterback in Quinn Ewers, who suffered a left clavicle injury in Week 2 against Alabama. Ewers has missed the past three games but is expected to start Saturday. Texas is looking to pick up its second-straight win after defeating West Virginia 38-20 last week. Sophomore Hudson Card, who replaced Ewers, completed 21-of-27 passes for 303 yards, and three touchdowns. Two of Card's touchdown passes went to wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who had seven receptions for 119 yards. The Longhorns will be looking to get Worthy involved early on Saturday, and he should be able to exploit a Sooners' defense, which got destroyed by TCU last week.
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Meanwhile, the Sooners are hoping to snap their two-game losing streak after getting crushed by TCU 55-24. Oklahoma lost starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel to a concussion against the Horned Frogs, putting his availability in question for Saturday. When asked who could potentially start against Texas, Sooners head coach Brent Venables said that they have three quarterbacks taking reps this week. That being said, we could see Davis Beville, General Booty, or Nick Evers start in the Red River Showdown. Beville saw some playing time last week for the injured Gabriel against TCU, completing seven-of-16 passes for 50 yards.
Below, we'll break down what you need to know before you bet on this Week 6 matchup between these two historic powerhouses.
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Texas vs. Oklahoma odds
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
- Spread: Texas -8.5
- Over/under: 65
- Moneyline: Texas -320; Oklahoma +250
Three trends to know
— Texas is 7-3 against the spread in its past 10 games against Oklahoma, but 1-6 straight up in their last seven meetings.
— Meanwhile, the Sooners are 1-4 straight up in their last five past games against a Big 12 opponent, but they are 9-1 ATS vs. good passing teams with a completion pct. of 58 or better, while at home over the past three years, according to BetQL.
— Additionally, BetQL has Oklahoma +7 listed as one of their best bets with a four-star rating.
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Three things to watch
— Don't forget about Bijan Robinson: While all the attention will be on the wide receivers in this contest (Xavier Worthy and Marvin Mims), Saturday's game also features one of the best running backs in the country in Bijan Robinson. Robinson has picked up where he left off last season, rushing for 515 yards and eight touchdowns through five games. He's run for 100-plus yards in three-straight games and seems destined to do it against a Sooners' defense that's allowed 198.2 yards per game. Last season against Oklahoma, he recorded 137 yards on 20 carries and a touchdown.
— Who starts at quarterback for the Sooners?: With only a couple of days until gameday, we still do not know who will be starting at quarterback for the Sooners. Gabriel suffered a concussion last weekend, which will likely keep him out for Saturday. Therefore, head coach Brett Venables has to choose between Beville, Booty, and Evers. Booty is an intriguing prospect, as he was one of the best QBs in JUCO last year. At Tyler College, he completed 61 percent of his passes for 3,410 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Booty also had a game last season against Navarro where he threw for 528 yards and eight touchdowns. He has yet to throw a pass this season for the Sooners, but we could see him on Saturday.
— Can the Sooners pick up their first Big 12 win? Things have not gone well for the Sooners this season. Venables has had some growing pains with this Oklahoma squad, which has surprisingly struggled on defense. The Sooners have allowed 96 combined points over their past two games against Kansas State and TCU. If Oklahoma can pick up this win, it will give them some life in the Big 12. However, the road does not get easier for the Sooners, as they will play the upstart Jayhawks next week.
Texas vs. Oklahoma prediction
Even though the Sooners will be without Gabriel, do not expect them to back down in this game against their rivals. The records say these two teams are struggling, but on Saturday, you might as well consider both teams 0-0. Nonetheless, the Longhorns have the better defense, only allowing 20 or fewer points in four out of five games this season. Texas should be able to keep the Sooners' offense in check while Robinson has a huge game on the ground and leads the Longhorns to a win.
Final score: Texas 42, Oklahoma 28. Texas (-8.5) covers the spread in the Red River Showdown, while the total goes OVER (65).
