On Saturday afternoon, the Oklahoma Sooners (4-3) will head to Oxford to battle the Ole Miss Rebels (5-2). Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
This will be the first meeting as SEC members after Oklahoma joined the conference this summer. However, Oklahoma’s first go-around hasn't been forgiving, as it enters this week 1-3 in conference play.
Ole Miss sits just above the Sooners at 1-2 in the conference. It's coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss at LSU in the Magnolia Bowl, but despite that defeat, Ole Miss is heavily favored to get back in the win column at home this week.
The Rebels are -20 on the spread with a total sitting at 49.
Let's dive into my Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss predictions and college football picks for Saturday.
Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Picks, Prediction
- Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss Pick: Ole Miss Team Total Over 34.5 Points
My Oklahoma vs Ole Miss best bet is on the Rebels team total over, with the best line currently available at DraftKings, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Odds, Spread, Over/Under
Oklahoma Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+19 -112 | 49.5 -108o / -112u | +750 |
Ole Miss Odds | ||
---|---|---|
Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-19 -108 | 49.5 -108o / -112u | -1200 |
- Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Point Spread: Oklahoma +19 (-112) · Ole Miss -19 (-108)
- Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Total: Over/Under 49.5
- Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Moneyline: Oklahoma +750 · Ole Miss -1200
Oklahoma Football vs Ole Miss Football Preview
Oklahoma Sooners Betting Preview: Struggles All Around
One thing that you can usually count on about Oklahoma is it will have a high-powered offense. However, this season that has not been the case as it has rotated a pair of young quarterbacks. Oklahoma is 15th in the SEC in scoring offense (22.1) and last in the conference in total offense as the only conference team averaging less than 300 yards per game.
Redshirt freshman Jackson Arnold began the season as the starting quarterback before struggling with turnovers. True freshman Michael Hawkins took over after providing a spark against Tennessee. He has started the last three games, including leading a win at Auburn.
However, the Sooners have scored 12 points in their last two games and head coach Brent Venables is going back to Arnold.
Defensively, Oklahoma has been stingy as it is tied 26th in the FBS in scoring defense (19 PPG). It has been particularly strong against the run, ranking 13th in the FBS in yards per carry allowed and eighth in Rushing Success Rate Allowed.
However, the burden of carrying a struggling offense has started to weigh on the defense as well.
In the last two weeks, Oklahoma has allowed 34 points to arch rival Texas and 35 to a South Carolina team not known for its offensive proficiency. Now, it will have to deal with a potent Ole Miss attack.
Ole Miss Rebels Betting Preview: Dart Looks Unstoppable
An interesting storyline in this game centers around quarterback Jaxson Dart. After Dart transferred from USC, his finalists were Oklahoma and Ole Miss. He committed to Ole Miss while Venables accepted a commitment from Dillon Gabriel.
Now, Dart is the SEC's leading passer while Venables, one of the nation's best defensive minds, is tasked shutting Dart and the Ole Miss offense down.
It will be a tough assignment for the Sooners considering that Ole Miss is second in the FBS in total offense (560.7 yards) and eighth in scoring offense (41.4 PPG). Explosive plays have been the name of the game for the Rebels who have 30 plays of 30 yards or more and 15 plays of 40 yards or more.
However, the Rebels have remained efficient as well. They rank 11th in Passing Success Rate and ninth in Rushing Success Rate while averaging over 200 yards both on the ground and through the air.
Dart has 14 touchdowns against three interceptions while completing 70% of his passes and averaging 340 passing yards per game. Dart's top target has been senior Tre Harris, who leads the FBS with 987 receiving yards on 59 receptions.
Pro Football Focus has Harris as its highest-graded receiver in the country. That makes it even important that Harris will be available this week after battling injuries the last few weeks.
Harris was listed as questionable on Wednesday's availability report. However, one player who was not listed is running back Henry Parrish Jr., which is a positive development after he has battled injuries. The senior leads the team with 612 rushing yards and is tied-17th in the FBS with nine rushing touchdowns.
Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Oklahoma and Ole Miss match up statistically:
Oklahoma Offense vs. Ole Miss Defense
Offense | Defense | Edge | |
Rush Success | 125 | 1 | |
Line Yards | 125 | 2 | |
Pass Success | 121 | 10 | |
Havoc | 127 | 1 | |
Finishing Drives | 85 | 4 | |
Quality Drives | 130 | 5 |
Ole Miss Offense vs. Oklahoma Defense
Offense | Defense | Edge | |
Rush Success | 9 | 8 | |
Line Yards | 12 | 29 | |
Pass Success | 11 | 81 | |
Havoc | 40 | 25 | |
Finishing Drives | 43 | 43 | |
Quality Drives | 14 | 20 |
Pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling | 38 | 1 |
PFF Coverage | 81 | 39 |
Special Teams SP+ | 31 | 3 |
Middle 8 | 125 | 31 |
Seconds per Play | 24.9 (25) | 22.5 (4) |
Rush Rate | 55% (65) | 53% (67) |
How To Make College Football Picks For My Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Prediction
With the exception of its loss to Kentucky, Ole Miss has scored at least 26 points in every game while averaging over 40 per game. While Oklahoma has a strong defense as well, it has allowed 34.5 points per game over the last two weeks.
That is where we find Ole Miss' team total this week, and I am comfortable with it up to 34.5. If head coach Lane Kiffin gets a chance to run it up, expect him to take advantage.
With its second loss to LSU, Ole Miss may need some style points to hang in CFP contention.
Pick: Ole Miss Team Total Over 34.5 Points (-105)
Oklahoma vs Ole Miss Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location, How to Watch
Location: | Vaught-Hemingway Stadium |
Date: | Saturday, Oct. 26 |
Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
TV / Streaming: | ESPN |
Oklahoma battles Ole Miss at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 26, at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.