We are inching closer and closer to the college football season, as we are 38 days away from week zero. I don’t think that this is breaking news to anyone but I’m sure many (if not most) of us have noticed how fast time goes by. We’re already in the middle of July and training camps in the NFL are already underway but, before one of the more anticipated seasons kicks off, college football will make its debut for the 2021-2022 season. Full stands are expected for the 2021 season, after issues with Covid-19 either limited attendance, postponed, or canceled games altogether. This failed to offer any consistency for the players, coaches, students, and fans in general. I’m hopeful and excited that we’ll be able to enjoy a full season without interruptions and be able to see the best players compete week in and week out to improve their draft stocks, and ultimately win. We started off by evaluating odds for the Pac-12 Conference, which doesn’t feature a heavy favorite, but now we shift our focus to the Big 12 that is known for high-powered offenses and not a whole of defense. The odds for this article have been provided by the DraftKings sportsbook, so we can hopefully win you some cash to spend this holiday season! Let’s take a look!
- Oklahoma -180
- Iowa State +275
- Texas +800
- Oklahoma State +1100
- TCU +1500
- West Virginia +2500
- Kansas State +4000
- Baylor +5000
- Texas Tech +6000
- Kansas +30000
Unlike the Pac-12, I am a little bit more familiar with the Big 12 since games are usually in the middle of the day and are easier to watch. What we can see here is that the Oklahoma Sooners are listed as the favorites at -180. So, here’s some new information for you regarding betting: anytime you see a minus sign next to a number (like you are seeing with Oklahoma), it means that you have to wager (bet) that amount to win $100, so $180 wins you $100 for a total return of $280. Every other team in the conference is listed as a plus so, as a reminder, use $100 as your starting point for placing bets. Anytime you see a + sign, it means that you will win that amount if you bet $100 and your bet “hits” (a.k.a. wins). You are free to bet however much you want to (it can be as low as $0.01), but just start with $100 as a baseline.
The best value, by far, is the Kansas Jayhawks at +30000 but, let’s be real, they won’t come close to even making the Conference Championship game. If you feel like throwing a few dollars for some laughs, giggles, and a potentially big payout, then by all means go for it, but (spoiler alert) it’s not happening! The Sooners (-180) should be one of the four playoff teams in this year’s college football playoff, which shouldn’t make the decision to bet them difficult at all. They’re led by one of the best passers in the country and former five-star recruit, QB Spencer Rattler (you should check out this article written by our own Alex Greb), who could make a case for being the number one overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. In my opinion, there’s only one team that could give Oklahoma a run for their money, and that is Iowa State (+275). These two teams met last year in the Dr. Pepper Big 12 Championship game, which saw the Sooners emerge as the victorious team 27 to 21, and Rattler was named MVP of the game. One could argue that they could have won that game if Iowa State QB Brock Purdy doesn’t throw three interceptions. I fully expect these two teams to meet up again in the Conference Championship for what should be another classic matchup.
A dark horse team that could surprise people is the Kansas State Wildcats (+4000). They have an experienced QB by the name of Skylar Thompson, who only played in three games last season due to injury but performed admirably against the Sooners in one of the major upsets of the year. If he can remain healthy and elevate his level of play, this team could be in the mix towards the end of the year. Overall, I like the Sooners at -180 to win the conference for a fifth straight year with a much improved Spencer Rattler, but don’t be surprised if the streak is ruined and, in turn, ruining your bet in the process.
Time is going by fast and the college football season is right around the corner, so let’s get those bets going! I’ll be back soon as I focus on the ACC conference, where there could be an upset in the making? Come back soon and we’ll find out!
Edited By: Rupayan “Abs” Samanta.
