In the final edition of the Red River Rivalry as members of the Big 12 Conference, third-ranked Texas (-6.5) looks for its second straight win over Oklahoma (12:00 p.m. ET, ABC). Sunday marks the first time these schools will meet with undefeated records since 2011, when the No. 3 Sooners recorded a 55-17 win over the No. 11 Longhorns.
Texas, fresh off an impressive 40-14 home win over Kansas, attempts to replicate its 49-0 drubbing over the Sooners in last season's meeting at the Cotton Bowl. In UT's shutout win, a significantly less stout Texas defense held OU to just 195 total yards, with the Sooners converting just three-of-15 third downs.
However, in a game of this magnitude, Oklahoma's utilizing last season's result as fuel to turn the tide this time around. The Sooners look like a completely different team in year two of the Brent Venables era, and despite a No. 12 ranking next to its name, OU hasn't seemed to generate the attention it deserves despite a 5-0 start. All that can change come Saturday afternoon, though.
RELATED: Best Texas-Oklahoma prop bets
Which team will supplant themselves as the Big 12's team to beat while improving to 6-0? For those looking to bet on Saturday's Texas-Oklahoma matchup, we'll give you all the information you need before placing a wager, including the updated odds from BetMGM, and our predictions for this Week 6 contest.
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Texas vs. Oklahoma odds, spread, over/under
- Spread: Texas -6.5 (-110) | Oklahoma +6.5 (-110)
- Over/Under: OVER 60.5 (-110) | UNDER 60.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: Texas -250 | Oklahoma +200
Texas is nearly a touchdown favorite, which may appear like a lot of points for a neutral site game, but Saturday's the first spot where OU steps up in class. They've taken care of business, significantly exceeding expectations in the betting market with a perfect 5-0 ATS mark. OU's also covering by an average of 14 points per game, the third-highest mark in the country.
We've already seen how Texas fares when stepping up in class, handing Alabama a rare home loss in a three-phased effort, so seeing UT listed as the neutral-site favorite isn't overly shocking.
Should you bet Texas against the spread?
With the current spread sitting under a touchdown, betting Texas -6.5 (-110) is the side we're leaning toward. Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel thrived in offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby's scheme, completing 74.6 percent of his passes with a 132.9 passer rating, but a matchup against an uber-talented Texas defensive line could spell trouble.
Per PFF, Oklahoma does boast a top-50 pass-blocking grade through five weeks, but they've yet to face a defensive line as talented as UT's. UT defensive lineman Byron Murphy II could wreak havoc in the Sooners' backfield like he did against Alabama, totaling four pressures in Texas' 34-24 road win.
Like virtually every QB, Gabriel's been less efficient under pressure, completing 51.9 percent of his passes (14-of-27) with a 55.3 passer rating. Compare that to clean pockets, where Gabriel's completed nearly 80 percent of his passes (103-of-130), and Saturday's game likely comes down to how Oklahoma's offensive line fares in pass protection.
That said, we think Texas' defensive line will cause issues for Oklahoma on Saturday. On the other side of the ball, we believe Quinn Ewers' maturation as a passer helps Texas keep its undefeated record intact, pulling out a seven-point win in another classic Red River Rivalry.
Our pick: Texas -6.5 (-110)
Final score prediction: Texas 31, Oklahoma 24
Should you bet the Texas vs. Oklahoma over or under?
The spread and total have some correlation in this one. A Texas win likely results in this game going UNDER the total, with its defensive line winning at the point of attack and slowing down an Oklahoma offense that enters Saturday's showdown averaging 47.4 points per game.
Unlike last season, this iteration of Brent Venable's OU bunch has shown significant improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Although Texas' offense is littered with talent at the skill positions, there's a good chance OU's defense holds UT under their scoring average of 36 points per game.
Our pick: UNDER 60.5 (-110)
