Oklahoma vs Tulsa Odds, Picks and Prediction | College Football Betting Preview (Saturday, September 16)

Oklahoma vs Tulsa Odds

The Oklahoma Sooners head to eastern Oklahoma to battle Hurricane Tulsa Golden on Saturday. It will be the first time these two have played since 2015.

The Sooners have won eight straight against Tulsa and 12 of the last 13.

After a difficult 2022, Oklahoma has started 2023 red hot. They defeated Arkansas State, 73-0, in Week 1 and defeated SMU, 28-11, in Week 2. In their final season in the Big 12, the Sooners enter Week 3 ranked No. 19 in the poll AP.

On the other hand, Tulsa is not in a similar situation. He brought in first-year head coach Kevin Wilson, who debuted with a convincing win over Arkansas Pine-Bluff. But Washington devoured the Hurricane in Week 2, 43-10.

So where does the betting value lie in this state showdown? Let’s dive into the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma odds. Tulsa and let’s make a choice in this college football betting preview for Saturday, September 16.

Redshirt senior Dillon Gabriel is making the most of his opportunity in Norman. Despite not enjoying much success on the team last season, Gabriel racked up 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns.

This time he has a good chance of replicating that production.

He’s also playing like a top-notch quarterback. Just look at his performance against SMU, where he completed 70% of his passes and threw four touchdowns and no picks.

Behind Gabriel is five-star freshman Jackson Arnold, who shined against Arkansas State with an 11-for-11, 114-yard performance in his first collegiate action. So the quarterback depth is there for the Sooners.

The Sooners are building something special, at least in numbers. OU fans were thrilled with the hiring of head coach Brent Venables in 2022, and the results are finally showing. Oklahoma ranks seventh in offensive success rate, ninth in defensive success rate and in the top 30 in creating chaos.

On the field, Oklahoma’s top running back, Tawee Walker, just had a fantastic game. He didn’t find the end zone, but ran for 117 yards on 5.6 yards per carry.

And don’t ignore vertical threats. Andrel Anthony and Drake Stoops are the top receivers with one touchdown each. Anthony has 142 yards and would have had more if Week 1 hadn’t ended in a blowout.

This defense looks much better than last year. He is allowed only 11 points and 574 yards in two games. He’s been against two non-conference programs, but there’s still a lot to like.

The Sooners rank 25th nationally in success rate allowed and sixth in accelerated success rate allowed.

Danny Stutsman and Justin Harrington are two players to keep an eye on. Harrington has been a force in the secondary and his length will cause all kinds of problems for Tulsa’s receivers.

Meanwhile, Stutsman is the leader of the defense and one of the best tacklers in the country.

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After a win in Week 1, it seemed like everything was going well in Tulsa.

But after a brutal beatdown in the Pacific Northwest, Golden Hurricane fans went back to what they were used to. That is fear, pessimism and anger.

Last week, quarterbacks Roman Fuller and Cardell Williams combined for 150 passing yards. They were blocked by Washington, and Williams added an interception. Fuller was accurate, completing 12 of his 18 throws, but he was confident and kept his passes short. That’s probably why Tulsa’s streaming metrics are relatively high.

I’m excited to see who starts this week. Williams started the season until Fuller replaced him mid-game.

Technically, Tulsa’s offense is fine and ranks 32nd in success rate. But the attack lacks substance. There is little explosiveness and the hurricane cannot avoid Havoc.

However, the running game is Tulsa’s specialty. He’s a running back by committee, with Jordan Ford, Bill Jackson and Anthony Watkins averaging more than five yards per carry. Tulsa ranks 31st in Rush success rate, although the Hurricane also lacks explosiveness.

You won’t get much flash from this rig, but it will be efficient.

But the defense is a disaster. The Golden Hurricane currently ranks 127th in success rate, 85th in havoc, and 65th in explosiveness.

The biggest headache for me is Ben Kopenski. The Oklahoma State graduate transfer had a two-sack, 10-tackle game against UAPB, but he didn’t get off the bus against Washington.

The fate of the defense depends on Kopenski, along with talented defensive backs Kendarin Ray, Kanion Williams and Jaise Oliver.

Toggle the dropdown menus below to hide or show how Oklahoma and Tulsa match up statistically:

Oklahoma offense vs. Tulsa defense

Hasty success	38	100
Yards of line	Four. Five	117
Past events	2	122
Havoc	8	85
Finishing units	2	Sixty-five
Quality units	19	73

Tulsa offense vs. Oklahoma defense

Hasty success	31	5
Yards of line	10	13
Past events	44	68
Havoc	86	66
Finishing units	84	7
Quality units	48	4

Pace of play/Other

Approach to PFF	4	123
FFP coverage	81	131
SP+ Special Equipment	17	25
Medium 8	62	52
Seconds per play	24.8 (34)	24.2 (24)
Rush rate	61.5% (19)	63.1% (20)

If it wasn’t already obvious, I bet Oklahoma has a cruise ship. All signs point to the Sooners dominating this game. It’s also the last non-conference matchup before the schedule ramps up.

Tulsa showed us its value last week. The Golden Hurricane is strong enough to beat inferior teams, but it could be a bloodbath against better opponents.

Wilson has work to do to get this program back up and running. He at least has experience, with coaching stops at Indiana, Ohio State and Oklahoma.

But the talent discrepancy here is too great. Oklahoma is on fire and will have their mouths watering against a vulnerable Tulsa team.

DraftKings has the number 28 and I see Oklahoma covering. The Sooners are currently 2-0 against the spread and are the much better team all over the field in this matchup.