Against the Spread: How to Bet OSU-South Alabama

If you rode with the Pokes on the betting side of things as well as the game side in OSU’s season-opener against Tulsa, chances are you’re sitting lopsided with a fat wallet on this fine Labor Day weekend.

Not only did OSU win straight up (duh), it also won big against the spread, and, like Mike Gundy teams are wont to do, cleared the over line without breaking a sweat.

So which way should you bet this week against South Alabama—a little-known opponent which gave Ole Miss a surprising test this past week? Here’s the numbers with a sprinkle of advice so you can make an informed decision.

Against the spread in 2017

• OSU: 1-0 — OSU was a 17-point favorite over Tulsa, and won 59-24. This week, the Pokes opened as 26.5-point favorites and the line has already moved to 27.5 on Vegas Insiders.

• South Alabama: 1-0 — South Alabama was a 23.5-point underdog vs. Ole Miss, but covered, 47-27.

Advice: Take OSU against the spread. Even a hapless Ole Miss team was able to pull away from the Jaguars late last weekend. While South Alabama was still able to cover, I think there’s a large jump in competition between Ole Miss and OSU this season. Also, OSU is 17-11-2 as an away favorite under Mike Gundy.

Straight up in 2017

• OSU: 1-0 — OSU won 59-24 over Tulsa straight up in its season-opener.

• South Alabama: 0-1 — South Alabama lost to Ole Miss by 20.

Advice: You likely already skipped this section, but here’s my advice if you need it: take OSU straight up, fam. Don’t even look back. If you’ve got a South Alabama fan willing to bet with you his team will win this one in an upset, run straight to the bank and push as many chips to the center of the table as possible.

Oklahoma State is 25-5 as an away favorite under Gundy and is 19-1 in its last 20 when ranked and playing an unranked team.

Over/Under

• OSU: In one game of play, OSU and Tulsa combined for 83 total points—11 points higher than the projected total set by Vegas Insiders.

• South Alabama: The line for Ole Miss-S. Alabama was set at 59, and the two teams combined for 74.

Advice: The over/under is set at 68, and by the looks of this past week, I suggest taking the over.