NCAA Prediction: Kansas State vs Oklahoma State Betting Odds and Picks
Thursday, November 03, 2011
by BetOnline Sportsbook
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are trying to lock down the Big 12 championship and gain the first BCS bowl berth in the history of the program. This weeks’ challenge: Kansas State Wildcats.
- Kansas State Wildcats @ Oklahoma State Cowboys
- Saturday, November 5
- NCAA Football Odds: Oklahoma State -20½
Why Kansas State Will Win
The Bet Online Sportsbook college football betting experts who follow the Big 12 Conference are fully aware of the capabilities of Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder. The white-haired wizard lifted K-State to very lofty heights in his first go-round at the program, taking a team with one of the very worst track records in the sport (over the course of several decades through the 1980s) and turning it into a legitimate national power.
Kansas State reached the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game and would have made that season’s national championship game, the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, if it had been able to defeat Texas A&M. The Wildcats led the Aggies most of the way in St. Louis, but were caught late and then stunned in overtime. Nevertheless, Kansas State was an elite team who turned back almost all comers in the Big 12, making multiple BCS bowl games and setting a standard of excellence that nobody in Manhattan, Kansas, could have dreamed of a decade earlier.
When Snyder stepped away from the program following the 2005 season, KSU predictably plummeted. With the Wildcats in disarray in 2009, Snyder came out of his brief retirement period to lead K-State once again. In the third season of his second act as the head coach in the town called “The Little Apple,” Snyder has made Kansas State a player. The simple fact of the matter is that if Kansas State wins the rest of its games, it will own a piece of the Big 12 title. As long as this team is healthy, it will have a chance in any game it plays.
Why Oklahoma State Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your football bet on this game, you need to realize that Oklahoma State isn’t just a good team or a talented team, but a team with veteran experience. Quarterback Brandon Weeden is 28 years old, having been granted eligibility after trying to cut it as a professional baseball player.
Receiver Justin Blackmon is an upperclassman as well, and it’s clear that OSU’s pass-first offense is benefiting from the familiarity between a quarterback and his pass catchers. OSU is averaging well over 45 points per game, which puts the Cowboys in the top tier of college football’s most potent offense. New offensive coordinator Todd Monken has been able to inherit this offense from former coordinator Dana Holgorsen and maintain Oklahoma State’s high standards. Playing at home, this offense should be able to flourish against a Kansas State team that doesn’t own the same amount of firepower.
Who Will Win
Kansas State is a great story. Oklahoma State is a better team playing at home. The Wildcats are good, but the Cowboys are appreciably better, and Weeden’s experience as a passer should be a difference maker for OSU.
Bet Online Sportsbook College Football Betting Pick: Oklahoma State
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bcs bowl - bill snyder - brandon weeden - fiesta bowl - justin blackmon - kansas state wildcats - oklahoma state cowboys
