Week 1: Zips vs Sooners Odds
College football betting sees the Akron Zips taking on the Oklahoma Sooners Saturday, Sept. 5 at Memorial Stadium in Norman, OK. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NCAA football season long so stay tuned for more FREE college football predictions.
Akron (0-0) vs. Oklahoma (0-0)
Week 1
Date: Saturday, Sept. 5
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK
NCAA Football Spread: Oklahoma -30.5
NCAA Betting Total: 55.5
NCAA Moneyline Odds: Oklahoma -110
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The Oklahoma Sooners are coming off of a down year. Or at least, a down year for them.
It says something about how dominant a program has been when 8-5 is considered an utter disappointment, so the squad playing in Norman, OK will look to get off on the right foot as a heavy favorite against the Akron Zips.
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The opening line on this one was set at 38 points in the Sooners favor.
That’s certainly a possible number to reach against an Akron squad that went just 5-7 in the MAC last season, but the line has been moved down to a more reasonable 30.5 in Oklahoma’s favor as the contest nears.
Akron
If the Akron Zips were solid at anything last year, it was keeping opponents from scoring the football. The team allowed an impressive 21.3 points per contest, which was good enough for 28th in the nation.
Unfortunately, while the saying goes “defense wins championships,” it takes two sides of the ball to win games, and that’s something the Zips forgot about most of the season.
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In 2014-15, the Zips put up just 22.6 points per contest. Any time you have a negative margin when it comes to points scored against points allowed, it doesn’t matter how good your defense was.
On the year, the Zips accumulated 249.6 passing yards per game, which was good enough for 50th in the country, and 123.7 rushing yards per game, which was only good enough for 109th in the nation.
Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Sooners should be improved this season, and as previously mentioned, that’s going to start with what should be an easy win against the Zips.
In 2014, this group ran the ball quite a bit. Then-freshman Samaje Perine ran the ball for a conference-leading 1,713 yards and 21 touchdowns, and there’s no reason to believe he’s going to take a step back this season.
The catch here is that only one starter for the offensive line is set to return this season, so expect a few kinks in Game 1 of the new year.
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Speaking of kinks, we could certainly see a few adjustments needed on the defensive line as well. Jordan Phillips took his talents to the pros this offseason, and the second needs to bolster its production around Sanchez.
NCAA football handicapping trends
Akron is 1-7 ATS in their last 8 overall
Under is 13-3 in Akron’s last 16 road games
Akron is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games on grass
Over is 12-4-1 in Oklahoma’s last 17 games overall
Week 1 NCAA Football Prediction
As if the Sooners weren’t already favored enough in this one, the Zips’ offense that struggled so mightily last season has already taken a significant hit.
Michaelle Harris, a graduate transfer from Louisville with 61 catches for 763 yards and five touchdowns throughout his career, has already gone down with a torn Achilles during camp.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick: Oklahoma -30.5
There’s no reason to believe the Sooners are going to let up in this one, and while we’re sure to see them experience a few kinks along the way, this is the perfect opponent for them to get those struggles out of the way before taking on the Tennessee Volunters on the road in front of a national audience.
Week 1 Score Prediction: Oklahoma 44 – Akron 10
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