Oklahoma 2.5-Point Favorites vs Texas in Opening Red River Showdown Odds
- Oklahoma and Texas take part in the 116th iteration of the Red River Showdown on Saturday, Oct. 10th, at 12:00 pm ET
- The Sooners have won the past two matchups, but both teams head to the Cotton Bowl on the heels of disappointing losses
- Check out the odds for the game and key information about the matchup in the article below
The hype train for the Red River Showdown, pitting Oklahoma against Texas (Saturday, Oct. 10, 12 pm ET), might not have ground to a complete halt this past weekend — bit it has certainly gone off the rails a little bit.
Both the No. 9 Longhorns and the No. 18 Sooners lost in surprising fashion on Saturday, taking some of the shine off the upcoming renewal of their long-standing rivalry. Then again, perhaps that adds a bit more juice to next week’s matchup, as the victor can essentially bury their opponent’s College Football Playoff hopes for good.
The opening Texas vs. Oklahoma odds present the Sooners as slight favorites for the annual meeting at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
Longhorns vs Sooners Opening Spread/Odds/Lines
| Team | Moneyline | Point Spread | Over/Under Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | +116 | +2.5 (-110) | TBD |
| Oklahoma | -142 | -2.5 (-110) | TBD |
Odds as of Oct. 4th at FanDuel
What Happened Last Week
Texas had no business losing to unranked TCU, falling 33-31 in a game in which the Longhorns were primed for a go-ahead score in the final minutes. Instead, running back Keontay Ingram fumbled at the one-yard line with 2:32 remaining and the Horned Frogs were able to kill the clock.
And Texas proceeds to fumble on 1st-and-goal at the 1-yard line on the next drive. pic.twitter.com/m09qgV0L9O
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) October 3, 2020
TCU has now beaten Texas in seven of nine meetings since the Horned Frogs joined the Big 12 in 2012.
As for Oklahoma, they traveled to Iowa State and returned home with a 37-30 loss — their first defeat in Ames in 60 years. That setback followed a shocking Week 4 upset at the hands of Kansas State, marking OU’s first bout of consecutive losses since 1999. The Sooners were driving in the final minutes in hopes of tying the score, but redshirt freshman QB Spencer Rattler threw an interception in the end zone.
🚨Iowa State intercepts Spencer Rattler for the upset!
— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 4, 2020
Oklahoma, the five-time reigning Big 12 champion, is one of three Big 12 teams remaining without a conference win.
News and Notes
Saturday’s loss to TCU wasn’t all bad for Texas. The Longhorns entered the weekend unsure about the health status of their top two running backs (Ingram and Roschon Johnson), but both played and contributed.
Yes, Ingram had a critical fumble. But he also logged 92 all-purpose yards on 14 touches. Johnson had 70 yards and a touchdown on seven touches.
"When Coach Herman came to me with that situation, I knew what I had to do." – Roschon Johnson#ThisIsTexas #HookEm pic.twitter.com/mE5Z8D89hJ
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) October 15, 2019
The Sooners’ only injury of note is receiver Jadon Haselwood, a sophomore who hasn’t played yet this season due to a leg injury. A couple weeks ago, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley said Haselwood was “progressing really quickly. We absolutely expect that he’ll be available to play for us at some point this year.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean he’ll be ready for the Week 6 matchup. But it’s worth keeping an eye out in case Riley addresses the matter again at this week’s media availability.
Will the Line Move?
Oklahoma has had three notable players out with suspensions in the early stages of this season. Iif that changes this week, the point spread could follow suit.
One Sooner, defensive end Ronnie Perkins, had his suspension (caused by a failed drug test ahead of the 2019 Peach Bowl) lifted on Saturday. The status of the others — receiver Trejan Bridges and running back Rhamondre Stevenson — remains to be seen.
Ronnie Perkins is a problem. https://t.co/5u45TYAYgg
— RJ Young (@RJ_Young) September 2, 2019
The reinstatement of Perkins, alone, could push the line a bit. The odds will certainly move in Oklahoma’s favor if the others are also allowed to play.
Jordan Horrobin is a sports journalist whose MLB, NHL, NFL and NCAA work has appeared in outlets such as The Athletic, MLB.com, the Detroit Free Press and more. He is currently based in Toronto, also working as a contributor for Forbes.com and a freelance editor for Sportsnet.
