Sportsbook Betting – Texas Fights For Bowl Eligibility

Sportsbook odds makers know that the Texas Longhorns, one of the proudest college football programs in the United States, are in danger of missing out on a bowl game. They’ll try to address that concern this week. 

Texas Longhorns @ Kansas State Wildcats

Saturday, November 6th – 8:10 PM ET
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium, Manhattan, KS 
Broadcast: ESPN2 

Sportsbook Odds: Texas -4, Kansas State +4
Sportsbook Total: 58.5
 
The Texas Longhorns are entering a whole new world… a world they have absolutely no desire to explore for another minute. This 2010 season has introduced a proud, blue-blood college football program to a hellish existence, so as the Burnt Orange boys prepare to take on the Kansas State Wildcats, they will be fighting some ugly facts as well as the team on the other sideline. Still reeling from back-to-back home losses to Iowa State and Baylor, the Longhorns will try to right the ship when they travel to Manhattan, Kansas, on Saturday.

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Texas has lost four of its last five games, which is simply unheard of in and around Austin.  A loss to K-State would put the Longhorns’ bowl chances in serious jeopardy, which is another ludicrous thing to consider for a program that always has the pick of the crop when it comes to high-school talent inside the state of Texas. What’s also astonishing yet undeniable is that the Longhorns have lost three home games this season, which is more than the number of home games rival coach Bob Stoops has lost at Oklahoma (two) in his entire career with the Sooners. Texas is being laughed at by the other members of its conference, so a team with a big brand name needs to reassert itself against coach Bill Snyder’s purple-clad Wildcats of the Big 12 North.

K-State is also struggling lately, having lost two in a row and three of its last four.  Last week, the Wildcats slowed down the powerful Oklahoma State offense, but often lost the field-position battle in dropping a 24-14 decision to the 17th-ranked Cowboys. The Wildcats remain one win short of bowl eligibility at 5-3, yet that’s one game better than 4-4 Texas at this point in the season, a jawdropping reality to contemplate.

Sportsbook Handicapping: What Texas Has To Do To Win

Let’s deal with the Longhorns’ loss last week against Baylor. UT blew a 19-10 second-half lead because the offense struggled to finish drives, settling for a field goal attempt six times.  Kicker Justin Tucker hit five of the six, but it’s difficult to win when the kicker attempts six field goals and just one extra point.

Longhorn quarterback Garrett Gilbert has thrown for 1,788 yards and six touchdowns in his first season as the Texas starter.  He has been victimized by numerous dropped passes.  His top target is James Kirkendoll, who has caught 31 passes for 389 yards and one touchdown. That passing connection will need to come alive this week and give Texas the offensive potency that’s been so manifestly lacking. If Texas can’t score, the unthinkable – the Longhorns falling below .500 in November and being in danger of missing a bowl game – could really happen.

Sportsbook Handicapping: What Kansas State Has To Do To Win

Wildcat quarterback Carson Coffman, forced to start drives inside his 10-yard line four times, finished with 170 yards passing and threw two interceptions against Oklahoma State, in a ragged performance that simply cannot emerge again when Texas comes to town.  KSU running back Daniel Thomas carried 29 times for 101 yards and a touchdown against OSU, and is now four yards away from the 1000-yard mark for the season. However, against a motivated and physical Texas defense (which is not and has not been the problem for the Longhorns), Thomas needs to get help from Coffman so that the Longhorns don’t stuff the tackle box in anticipation of an endless stream of running plays.

Sportsbook Handicapping: Outlook & Pick 

Neither team is particularly formidable or confident right now, but Texas is particularly desperate because of the stature of the program. The Longhorns won’t look great, but they’ll dig out a win they absolutely have to have on the road. 

Sportsbook Pick: Texas -4