Oklahoma State vs. BYU: Picks, Predictions and Odds

Friday night brings us a fascinating Big 12 matchup between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and BYU Cougars in Provo, Utah.

The Cowboys have been extremely disappointing this season, having dropped three straight games in conference play, with two of those losses coming in blowout fashion at home.

It doesn’t get any easier this week, as Oklahoma State will take on a BYU team that remains undefeated after a commanding victory over the Arizona Wildcats a week ago.

With Oklahoma State looking to bounce back and BYU hoping to keep its Big 12 title aspirations intact, let’s get into our betting picks, predictions and best bets for Oklahoma State vs. BYU on Friday.

Oklahoma State vs. BYU betting picks and predictions

Oklahoma State +9.5 (-110)

Historically, this is a strong spot to back Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy, as he has tremendous numbers as an underdog in his career, particularly in Big 12 play.

While Gundy’s team limped into the bye week with a 38-14 loss to West Virginia for its third straight defeat, the bye did come at an ideal time, as they’ve now had a week away from game action to reset and stop the negative momentum of a losing streak.

It’s also expected that the Cowboys are going to make a quarterback change in this one, as redshirt senior Alan Bowman will likely give way to Garret Rangel, who completed four of his five passes for 75 yards and a touchdown in relief of Bowman just two weeks ago.

This change could ignite an offense that has been stuck in the mud for the majority of the season, and I do expect a maximum effort from this Oklahoma State team on both sides of the ball coming out of the bye week and with the goal of reaching a bowl game still in front of them.

As for the hosts, BYU is certainly much better than most thought it would be, but this is still a team that is pretty fortunate to be undefeated at this point in the season. After all, the Cougars have been outgained in each of their three conference wins on the year, and they were also gifted a couple of crucial turnovers in a win at SMU back in September. 

BYU’s offense checks in at 83rd in success rate, 102nd in rushing success rate and 59th in points per drive per College Football Insiders, so this isn’t exactly an elite offense on a consistent basis.

That’s important in this game because while Oklahoma State’s defense has poor metrics on early downs, the Cowboys are 20th in opponent points per quality possession, meaning that this defensive unit is at its very best when the opponent is in scoring position. 

When Oklahoma State is on offense, the Cowboys should look to lean on star running back Ollie Gordon, who began to show flashes of his old, explosive self in recent games against Kansas State and West Virginia. If the Cowboys can generate some success on the ground and shorten the game as a result, this one should stay within single digits.

All things considered, let’s take Oklahoma State +9.5 (-110) with our prediction for this Big 12 matchup.   

Under 52.5 total points (-110)

Given that we like Oklahoma State to cover this inflated number, that correlates nicely with the total going Under on Saturday. The Cowboys are likely going to emphasize their ground game and focus on controlling the clock, which should be a recipe for fewer possessions for both sides. 

On the other side, BYU is happy to partake in a methodical game as well, given that the Cougars are outside the top 100 in tempo and plays per game. Therefore, it’s hard to be confident that both teams are going to suddenly change their identity and play at a much faster pace in this one. 

Additionally, these defenses are both in the top 20 nationally in opposing points per scoring opportunity, and both defenses yield an average of three points or fewer every time their opponents reach the red zone.

That’s a recipe for success against offenses that are going to keep the ball on the ground and focus on grinding out long possessions via third down execution. Explosive plays should be kept to a minimum in this one, which also bodes well for the Under.

In what could be a lower possession game, both sides should air on the side of caution and that should get us to Under 52.5 total points (-110) on Saturday.

Read more betting picks and predictions for College Football on site.

Oklahoma State vs. BYU odds

Oklahoma State	+275 ML
BYU	-350 ML
Spread	BYU -9.5
Total Points	52.5 O/U

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.