There are a fair number of “buy” games at this time of the college football season, where bigger teams pay smaller teams a guaranteed fee for a home matchup, while the visiting team ends up walking away with a bigger check and a loss.
One of the matchups this week will see the Oklahoma Sooners host the Temple Owls in Norman on Friday night.
Oklahoma is listed as a 42.5-point favorite by some sportsbooks after opening as a 39.5-point favorite, and the total has also seen some fluctuation, dropping from 60.5 to 57.
These odds are quite out of date since sportsbooks began releasing them in late May, so they still don't offer much value at current numbers. In situations like this, bettors should consider targeting other options, such as derivatives in the form of team totals.
Temple vs. Oklahoma odds
| team | Spread the word | Money Line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| temple | +42 (-110) | 50/1 | o57 (-110) |
| Oklahoma | -42 (-110) | 1000/1 | u57 (-110) |
Temple University preview: Unsettled quarterback situation
Temple's starting quarterback position remains up in the air following the transfer of EJ Warner to Rice. The Arizona native threw for 3,076 yards and a nearly 2-to-1 touchdown-to-int ratio (23-12) in 2023.
Coach Stan Drayton is trying to cheat by not announcing a starting quarterback, and the decision will likely be narrowed down to two options: redshirt junior Forrest Bullock and Rutgers University transfer Evan Simon.
Bullock's only collegiate experience came last season against SMU, when he was 7-of-15 for 60 yards and one interception in a 55-0 loss.
Simon began the 2022 season as Rutgers' starting quarterback but lost his spot to Gavin Wimsatt.
Temple is 3-9 overall and 1-7 in the American Athletic Conference and has the fifth-worst return percentage (37%) among teams, according to ESPN's Bill Connelly.
With players transferring out of the program and not many talented players returning, the Owls could be in for a very long game, and season.
Oklahoma Preview: Jackson Arnold ready to lead the attack
This game probably won't tell us much about how the Sooners will fare this season after the SEC transition.
Like Temple, Oklahoma will have a new starting quarterback after Dillon Gabriel transferred to Oregon, but unlike the Owls, the Sooners have a former five-star recruit in Jackson Arnold who appears ready to take the reins.
Arnold completed 26 of 45 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns in Oklahoma's 38-24 loss to Arizona in last season's Alamo Bowl.
Although he was intercepted three times in the game, the feedback on his performance was largely positive for a quarterback making his first collegiate start on a team missing key players due to opt-outs.
According to 247Sports, Oklahoma's roster is ranked seventh in the overall talent index, while Temple is ranked 104th.
The talent gap between these two teams is just too great, with the Sooners being much more consistent at 65% productivity upon return.
Temple vs. Oklahoma predictions
Oklahoma should be able to score points against Temple. They only allowed 14 points in two games against Power 5 schools (Rutgers and Miami) last season.
Now they have to face a Sooners team that is even more powerful than last year's opponent while also bringing in a new starting quarterback.
By comparison, Oklahoma beat Arkansas State 73-0 in the season opener a year ago, and the Red Wolves finished the year with a higher power rating than Temple.
At this stage of the season, defense is generally outperforming offense, and Oklahoma's Brent Venables is considered one of the best defenders in the country.
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Even if Oklahoma gets a big lead and pulls down its starters, it will be difficult for Oklahoma to pose much of a threat on the offensive end.
Most sportsbooks have yet to release team totals for Friday's game, but bet365 has Temple's alternate lines set at 9.5 below (-175) and 6.5 (+125).
Taking these prices into account, the odds should be lowered before kickoff to make the standard team total 7.5 or 8.5.
These options were not available at the time of writing, so I will back Temple University to have a team total under 9.5 points and then add to my position once more lines are released.
