Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns at No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Saturday, 9/3/11, 7:00 PM EST
Opening Point Spread: Oklahoma State -34
Current Betting Line: Oklahoma State -38
Opening Total: 63
Current Total: 64.5
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Louisiana-Lafayette knows its up against it to open the season and has dropped all seven previous meetings against Oklahoma State. “We have a tough challenge in front of us, as we face one of the top teams in the nation that’s equipped with two Heisman Trophy candidates,” said Ragin’ Cajuns first-year head coach Mark Hudspeth. “I believe our toughness is going to give us an edge in this game.” The program has had three different quarterbacks pass for over 250 yards in a game during the 2010 season and Chris Masson is just the sixth quarterback in school history to reach 4,000 career yards. Louisiana-Lafayette is 10-8 ATS as an underdog the last two years.
The Ragin’ Cajuns rushing attack was led by true freshman Aaron Spikes, who scored eight touchdowns, six receiving and two rushing. It took over the bulk of the carries during last year’s meeting with the Cowboys. Many experts expect the team to suffer through growing pains as an offense due to losing three experienced offensive linemen for a second consecutive year.
Oklahoma State brings back the nucleus of one of last year’s top offenses in the country, but will certainly miss the services of two-time All-American running back Kendall Hunter. The Cowboys still have the talented pass-catch combination of quarterback Brandon Weeden and All-America wide receiver Justin Blackmon that will be more than enough for the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense to handle. Oklahoma State ranked third nationally in total offense and scoring offense in 2010. Over the past three years, the program is a dominating 14-5 ATS as a favorite.
The Cowboys are enjoying incredible success as a program under the direction of head coach Mike Gundy, posting a 29-10 record, which is the best ever for Oklahoma State over a three-year period. After starting his career on the sidelines with a disappointing 12-15 record, Gundy has rebounded to post a 35-14 since then. Experience will be found all over the football team this season, as the squad brings back 27 players that have starting experience. Oklahoma State has won the last two meetings in this series by a wide 110-31 margin. It’s also important to note that the visitor has scored just 30 points in its previous four trips to Stillwater.
Bettors will likely back the Ragin’ Cajuns due to their 6-0 ATS mark on the road, while the Cowboys are 1-4 ATS as a home favorite of 10.5 points or more.
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