Get a $500 Bonus on a $500 Deposit at BetUS!

TCU Horned Frogs at Oklahoma Sooners Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd

No. 24 ranked TCU heads to Oklahoma to take on the No. 2 ranked Sooners this Saturday in a matchup that should show the true colors of each of these teams. While the Horned Frogs have managed to get themselves into the top 25, odds makers don’t appear all that impressed and have listed TCU as a heavy 18.5-point underdog with the total set at 54.5. Jimmy Boyd will take a look at both sides of this matchup and ultimately reveal his against the spread winner in this preview.

TCU is one of only two teams that can say that it has defeated Oklahoma on its home field in the last decade. The Frogs will look to add to their distinction by doing it again this weekend.

TCU is off to a quick 4-0 start and is tied for the nation’s third-longest winning streak at seven games. This is the first time since 2003 that the Frogs have gotten off to such a start. TCU is already 1-0 in Mountain West Conference play after defeating New Mexico 26-3 on the road in its season opener. Since then, the Frogs have pounded Stephen F. Austin 67-7, Stanford 31-14, and SMU 48-7.

TCU’s offense controlled the football for more than 36 minutes in last weekend’s dominant performance over SMU and the pollsters thought that was good enough to give the Frogs some top 25 ink. QB Andy Dalton completed 16 of 25 passes for 210 yards and added a touchdown on the ground while Marcus Jackson threw for one touchdown and rushed for another as he gained 115 rushing yards. The Horned Frogs amassed 271 yards on the ground in all.

Dalton has proved to be more than just a passer as he has rushed for a score in seven straight games. The QB has taken good care of the football as well, only being intercepted once in his 99 attempts. Because of Dalton being a jack of all trades, the Frogs are 12th in the country in rushing and also tied for 12th in scoring. They are second in the nation in turnover margin, which is one of the most overlooked stats in the game.

The defense has been very tough in the early going, especially against the run. TCU held SMU to minus eight yards rushing on 12 attempts last week. Cody Moore was especially a beast, coming up with four tackles for loss (two were sacks) and an interception. The Horned Frogs are now the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation against the run, allowing just 30.5 yards per game.

The pass defense has not been too shabby either, allowing just 152.5 yards per game. Put it all together and TCU is the No. 1 ranked overall defense in the land right now.

This defense should certainly be tested by one of the top offensive teams in the country this week. Oklahoma will be fresh off a bye week after crushing Washington 55-14 on September 13th. That win marked the third straight game in which the Sooners had scored at least 52 points. So we will have the top offense in the country going against the top defense this week.

Most of the credit for Oklahoma putting up these gaudy numbers can go to QB Sam Bradford, who has converted on 79% of his passes for nearly a 300 yards per game average. The QB has 12 touchdowns against just two picks early on. Last season, Bradford finished with 36 touchdowns against just eight picks and failed to throw a scoring pass in only two games.

The Sooners also have a powerful running attack that is averaging 217.7 yards per game.

Oklahoma comes into this one ranked 10th in the country in total defense, allowing only 232.7 yards per game and is second in the Big 12 with only a 14 points per game allowance.

We know that both team’s numbers are slightly inflated because of weak competition, but the Frogs have actually played a tougher slate of games thus far. And many don’t realize that this series has actually been a tight one. Oklahoma has taken six of the previous 10 meetings, but the Frogs have won three of the last four contests in Norman and beat the then-fifth ranked Sooners in 2005 17-10.

TCU has good athletes which could play in the BCS conferences, LaDainian Tomlinson is a great example. I like the Horned Frogs to keep this one too close for comfort. Bet TCU at +18.5 at BetUS and receive up to a 50% signup bonus.

Beat the football betting odds each week with the football picks here at Locksmith Sports!

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in: