The Oklahoma Sooners' role as underdogs is over.
After being the underdogs in their last two outings, the Sooners opened as heavy favorites over the No. 23 Missouri Tigers at 11 a.m. CT Saturday in Norman, but back-to-back road upsets will influence that.
Opening odds favor Sooners big over Mizzou
The Sooners are favored by 9.5 points as of Monday, according to most major betting platforms, including BetMGM and DraftKings. FanDuel isn't as sure about the Sooners as other sportsbooks, but still has OU as an 8.5-point favorite.
This massive spread could continue to shrink by Saturday morning, though, based on an important injury concern for the 7-3 Tigers. Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula has missed the Tigers' last two games with an ankle injury, but Matt Zenitz of CBS Sports reported on Sunday that "there’s early optimism" that Pribula could return to play against the Sooners.
If a more confirming and optimistic report comes out or the SEC Availability Report gives Pribula a favorable status at some point this week, then the betting margin between OU and Mizzou will surely shrink. However, with the Sooners on a roll and at home, Vegas still won't swing things in the Tigers' favor no matter who is or isn't playing.
The Sooners just upset Alabama 23-21 on the road after being 6.5-point underdogs. That spread grew after it was confirmed OU would be without defensive end R Mason Thomas, who is OU's best defensive player. Yet, the Sooners still pulled off the upset.
OU was also a 3-point underdog to Tennessee three weeks ago on the road, but still prevailed 33-27. Overall, the Sooners are 5-4-1 against the spread this season, including 2-1 as underdogs and 3-3-1 as favorites.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.