By Emilee White Editorial Director
Updated 8/20/23 4:27pm ET
In the ever-changing college football landscape, the Big 12 is about to embark on its final season as we know it. Texas and Oklahoma are poised to leave for the SEC so it only makes sense that the Longhorns are favored to win the conference a year after TCU was actually the state’s best football team.
Week 0 of the CFB is approaching fast, so let’s break down the top teams in the Big 12 Conference and their odds to win the division.
Texas (+100 Big 12 Odds)
Is Texas back? That rhetorical question remains an annual tradition, but the betting market certainly believes in the Longhorns. They are favored to capture their first conference title since 2009. Odds are currently set at +100 with a regular-season win total of 9.5.
Offensive guru Steve Sarkisian returns quarterback Quinn Ewers but hyped freshman Arch Manning is certainly lurking. Texas only managed eight wins last season but it did defeat Kansas State, crushed rival Oklahoma 49-0, and nearly upset Alabama, despite losing Ewers to injury against the Tide. The optimism is justified but the bar is also set very high in Austin.
Defensively, Texas ranked 28th in the nation and second in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 21.9 points per game. Passing defense, on the other hand, was a weakness.
Oklahoma (+350 Big 12 Odds)
From the second-worst team in the conference to the second-favorite, Oklahoma sure does know how to make a comeback. The Sooners are coming off of a rough season, struggling on both sides of the ball.
In regular season play, the defense allowed 30 points per game and 36.1 points in the postseason — both the pass and run defense ranked worse than 100th. Offense carried the team to six wins, although not without struggles.
Oklahoma had a hard time converting short-yardage plays, but regardless, the team’s running game was one of the nation’s best and oddsmakers see the potential. The Sooners are +350 to win the conference with a win total of 9.5. Perhaps losing Lincoln Riley led to the program’s downfall or maybe the restore their winning ways in Brent Venables’ second season.
Kansas State (+500 Big 12 Odds)
The Wildcats surpassed expectations last year to capture the Big 12, defeating then-undefeated TCU, 31-28, in a wild conference title game. Will Howard led his team the whole way, throwing for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
Entering this year, the Wildcats own the third-shortest odds at +500 odds, while the media picked them to finish second. The Wildcats have a win total of eight.
Bill Snyder retired a final time in 2018 but it sure looks like the Purple Cats found the right successor in Chris Klieman.
Texas Tech (+1000 Big 12 Odds)
A buzz permeated Lubbock last year when new coach Joey McGuire closed with four straight wins to finish 8-5. Additionally, for the first time in school history, the Red Raiders defeated Texas and Oklahoma in the same season.
The offense ranked 27th last season, despite some quarterback turnover, and averaged 34.3 points and over 300 passing yards. The Red Raiders stayed true to form by mostly being involved in their signature shootouts but did manage to win two games after scoring just 14 and 20 points in regulation.
Their conference odds are currently are +1000 (10-to-1) with a regular-season win total of 7.5.
TCU (+1600 Big 12 Odds)
What does Sonny Dykes have as an encore? The Horned Frogs stole the hearts of fans and bettors, constantly outperforming the market, having its QB become a Heisman Trophy finalist and nearly cashing 100-to-1 longshot tickets.
The Horned Frogs also became the first Big 12 team to record a win in the College Football Playoff, upsetting undefeated Michigan for their 10th win against the point spread (ATS). TCU ultimately finished 2nd in both polls.
Oddsmakers are undeterred, posting a win total of 7.5 and +1600 (16-to-1) odds. TCU lost star QB Max Duggan and playmakers Kendre Miller and Emari Demercado after a season that averaged 193.3 rushing yards per game.
Remaining Teams Odds To Win The Big 12:
- Baylor: +1800
- UCF: +3500
- Kansas: +3500
- Oklahoma State: +4000
- BYU: +8000
- Iowa State: +8000
- Cincinnati: +10000
- West Virginia: +15000
- Houston: +20000
*All Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
Photo credit: Shutterstock
