Vegas oddsmakers didn't like the Oklahoma Sooners' chances against Ole Miss on Saturday, but apparently they do on Sunday.
The Sooners' Week 11 game against Ole Miss was rescheduled from Saturday afternoon to noon on Sunday after the Rebels and several other college football teams endured travel delays on Friday. In case you missed it, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a rare nationwide ground stop, delaying all U.S. flights for about four hours.
In the midst of all that change, the betting odds also completely flipped by Saturday morning after Ole Miss was a slim 1.5-point favorite on the road all week. Now, the Sooners are the ones favored by 2.5 points at home in what should be sloppy conditions at Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Odds for Oklahoma vs. Ole Miss
Spread: Oklahoma -2.5
Moneyline: Oklahoma -132, Ole Miss +110
Total: 48.5
Odds are courtesy of FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Sooners benefit from what could be a literal mud fight
In the end, even after all that chaos, Ole Miss' travel ahead of the game won't actually alter that much compared to every other week. The Rebels will still get to Norman the day before, and get a full night's rest. That's unlike every other team that was in the same situation as Ole Miss, but still found a way to play on Saturday.
Travel delays definitely made an impact on spreads across college football, but what oddsmakers likely noticed here after the rescheduling was the weather forecast. There was a small chance of rain for Saturday, but not enough to impact a football game. On Sunday, though, there's a 100% chance of rain in Norman, with a high of only 45 degrees.
It could let up at some point during the time of the game, but it could also be continuous after raining all morning. The natural grass on Owen Field could become a muddy mess by halftime on Sunday, which would create dreadful playing conditions.
It's been said all season the Sooners have to get opponents in the mud to win with their elite defense and dormant offense, and on Sunday, they could literally end up in the mud. Surprisingly, the over/under for the game dropped by just one point from 49.5 points to 48.5. That's still higher than a lot of OU's other games, despite the expected conditions.
There's newfound confidence in OU's offense under interim offensive coordinator Jason Witten. The Sooners controlled the clock enough to smother Florida in a 23-7 upset last week in Witten's play-calling debut. That will be the exact game plan needed to succeed if the conditions are as bad as anticipated on Sunday.
The Sooners' run game definitely shouldn't be considered strong yet, but it's still not as weak as the Rebels'. Ole Miss will be without star running back Kewan Lacy again. The Rebels are 1-2 this season without Lacy and significantly less productive on offense, and that wasn't even in poor conditions that made the running game a lifeline.
The Rebels have another star at quarterback in Trinidad Chambliss to rely on, but their greatest weapon will be compromised if the rain continues to fall. It might be miserable to watch a game, but OU fans might need to pray for a downpour if it benefits the Sooners.
The game was rescheduled to favor Ole Miss, but Vegas is pointing out it could ultimately benefit the Sooners most, and have the Rebels wanting to get back home a lot quicker than they got to Norman.
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