College Football Free Picks: Baylor Bears at Oklahoma State Cowboys

Baylor Bears at Oklahoma State Cowboys
Saturday, 11/6/2010, 12:30 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma State -7.5
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma State -8
Opening Total: 71.5
Current Total: 73
Current Moneyline: Oklahoma State -310 / Baylor +260

The Baylor Bears rank eighth nationally in passing offense behind the arm of quarterback Robert Griffin III

Baylor heads to Stillwater, Oklahoma where first place will be on the line in the Big 12 South in Saturday’s contest against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. “The tide has changed. This year, we’re the team to beat,” said quarterback Robert Griffin III. He currently ranks eighth nationally with 288 passing yards per game and has given hope to a team that has finished last or tied for last in its division 13 times in 14 previous Big 12 seasons. This will be the 29th meetings between the two teams with the Bears trailing 12-16 in the series after dropping a 34-7 contest in Waco last year. Head coach Art Briles knows his team will need to play a perfect game to pull off the minor upset. “They are a really fine football team,” he said. “Probably over the last eight to 10 years, they have been one of the more prominent teams in the Big 12.” The team is 13-8 ATS versus conference opponents and is listed as a eight-point underdog on the college football lines page.

The Bears are 7-2 for the first time since 1991 and are bowl-eligible for the first time since the 1995 season, which they didn’t receive a bid. Baylor’s four conference wins are the most by the program in the Big 12 era. Much of that success can be attributed to an offensive unit that is leading the conference in scoring with 40.2 points per game during Big 12 play. After winning just two road games in the first two years under Briles, Baylor is 3-1 on the road in 2010. “I love away games,” said defensive tackle Phil Taylor. “It pumps me up because I feel like everyone is going against us. But when you’re doing good, you can almost hear a pin drop.”

Oklahoma State picked up a 24-14 road win over Kansas State last week despite missing wide receiver Justin Blackmon, who was sitting out due to an off-field incident. He still leads the nation with 158.9 receiving yards per game and 14 receiving touchdowns. “It’s obvious with what he has done all year that it’ll be nice to have him back,” said quarterback Brandon Weeden. The win improved the Cowboys to 3-0 on the road this season and have now registered three-game road winning streaks in consecutive seasons. Saturday’s contest will mark the first time that both teams will be ranked, while Oklahoma State has registered a 3-1 record as a top 25 team. The squad is a perfect 8-0 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points over the last three years.

The Cowboys have won at least seven games for five straight seasons for the first time ever and one more win would give them at least eight in three straight campaigns for just the third time in school history. It’s a surprising result when considering twenty-one different players have made their first career starts in 2010. The program has a good chance of picking up an eighth victory due to holding a significant 13-1 advantage in the series during the Big 12 era.