NCAA football betting players are awaiting the new season to begin, but Oklahoma is even more impatient after losing to Florida in the BCS title game. Early odds have the Sooners just behind the Gators to begin the season, and they'll have the defending Heisman winner back to lead the way.
Sam Bradford nixed the pros for his junior season after a phenomenal sesason which saw him lead the nation in quarterback rating, but he's one of only five returning starters. That doesn't matter to the Sooners, who had better backups last year than the first string of some teams. How often is it that you have two 1,000-yard rushers coming back? Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray should run all over the Big 12, even behind a line with just two returning starters. Jermaine Graham should step into the No.1 receiver slot nicely, as he led the team in touchdown catches with 14. The Sooners' depth makes them very attractive to handicapping software.
The entire defensive line makes up four of nine returning starters for the Sooners, who will be looking to improve a 68th-ranked defense. Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds and Keenan Clayton are a formidable trio of linebackers, while Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks are solid corners, although Franks would do well to keep his mouth shut after calling out Florida's Tim Tebow before the BCS title game. The Big 12 is now an offensive conference, which means all of their defenses got pulverized last year, but the Sooners should be much better in 2009, which makes them one of the top sportsbook picks of the fall.
The Sooners are rated at +500 to win the BCS, and tied with Texas at +150 in the Big 12. All eyes will be on Dallas on October 17th, when the Sooners look to avenge last year's loss to the Longhorns, who are still angry about being passed over for the national-championship game for Oklahoma. The Sooners also play BYU and Tulsa, while a tough closing stretch will see them travel to Nebraska and Texas Tech before closing the season at home against rival Oklahoma State. The Sooners have reached a BCS bowl in seven of the last nine years, and they should get there again. Bradford will be just as good, and the defense will be even better, so take a chance on the sportsbook Oklahoma Sooners odds this year.
Sam Bradford nixed the pros for his junior season after a phenomenal sesason which saw him lead the nation in quarterback rating, but he's one of only five returning starters. That doesn't matter to the Sooners, who had better backups last year than the first string of some teams. How often is it that you have two 1,000-yard rushers coming back? Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray should run all over the Big 12, even behind a line with just two returning starters. Jermaine Graham should step into the No.1 receiver slot nicely, as he led the team in touchdown catches with 14. The Sooners' depth makes them very attractive to handicapping software.
The entire defensive line makes up four of nine returning starters for the Sooners, who will be looking to improve a 68th-ranked defense. Travis Lewis, Ryan Reynolds and Keenan Clayton are a formidable trio of linebackers, while Brian Jackson and Dominique Franks are solid corners, although Franks would do well to keep his mouth shut after calling out Florida's Tim Tebow before the BCS title game. The Big 12 is now an offensive conference, which means all of their defenses got pulverized last year, but the Sooners should be much better in 2009, which makes them one of the top sportsbook picks of the fall.
The Sooners are rated at +500 to win the BCS, and tied with Texas at +150 in the Big 12. All eyes will be on Dallas on October 17th, when the Sooners look to avenge last year's loss to the Longhorns, who are still angry about being passed over for the national-championship game for Oklahoma. The Sooners also play BYU and Tulsa, while a tough closing stretch will see them travel to Nebraska and Texas Tech before closing the season at home against rival Oklahoma State. The Sooners have reached a BCS bowl in seven of the last nine years, and they should get there again. Bradford will be just as good, and the defense will be even better, so take a chance on the sportsbook Oklahoma Sooners odds this year.
