Posted on 10/12/2007 6:05:01 PM

College Football Betting: Missouri to Make Big Leap Against Sooners

By Charles Jay

MISSOURI at OKLAHOMA

Oct. 13, 6:30 PM ET

BetUS College Football Betting Odds: Oklahoma -11

NOTABLE STAT: Missouri has averaged 557 yards a game on offense

KEY BETTING TRENDS: Oklahoma is 8-1 ATS in its last nine home games; Missouri is 4-0 ATS this year

(For more stats and trends on this weekend's games, check out our Matchup Tool)

We may have gotten an idea of just how good Missouri is with its 41-6 blowout win over Sam Keller and the Nebraska Cornhuskers, in which the Tigers showed some balance in their offense, gaining 195 yards on the ground to go with 411 through the air. If Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel hadn't stamped himself as a Heisman Trophy candidate previously, he certainly did it in that game, completing 33 of his 47 throws for two touchdowns without being intercepted, in addition to rushing for 72 yards and two touchdowns. For the year, Daniel is a shade under 70% accurate with just two pickoffs and 1245 yards. With apologies to Tim Tebow, Daniel runs a spread offense about as well as anybody in the country.

Of course, we knew Missouri was good before the season, as the team had brought back nine offensive starters, including just about every playmaker. In the season opener, they scored a 40-34 win over Illinois, which has since proven its mettle by beating Penn State and Wisconsin en route to a national ranking. Missouri can unquestionably put points on the board, for them it's not a matter of not being able to keep up. We know how awesome Oklahoma can be on occasion; indeed, we've seen them cut a swath through Miami (51-13) and Tulsa (62-21), not to mention the obligatory thrashings of North Texas (79-10) and Utah State (54-3). But, this team is hardly indestructible, as evidenced by the collapse against so-so Colorado in a game where the Sooners blew a 24-7 lead. And Colt McCoy of Texas piled up 324 yards passing against them in an unexpected life-and-death battle last week.

You certainly can't complain with anything Oklahoma freshman Sam Bradford has done under center. He currently ranks #1 in the country in passing efficiency (71%, 18 TD's, four INT's). But Daniel is the more experienced leader and probably spreads the ball around better. He has one of the very best tight ends in the country in Chase Coffman, who by the end of the season could be making a legitimate bid for All-America honors. And there are few better all-around threats (rushing, receiving, punt and kickoff returns) than redshirt freshman Jeremy Maclin, who might be pulling extended duty if Tony Temple, nursing an ankle injury, can't play.

This is a very talented Missouri team, and this appears to be their time to make a statement. Oklahoma has a defensive edge, without much question, but they're laying double digits to a team that is possibly one of the top ten in the country, and Bradford is more potentially combustible than Daniel. We're bucking a couple of trends here - the Sooners have covered eight of their last nine at home and 11 of their last 15 overall. But, I'm looking for a close contest.

JAY'S PLAY: MISSOURI ** (Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)

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(Charles Jay of TotalActionExtra.com still has some of that college spirit. He is a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)