TCU had lost two games in a row but had a massive win in their last match, taking down a ranked Texas team 37-27. They forced four turnovers in the game, and all came from the secondary with four interceptions. The Horned Frogs are two wins away from being bowl eligible and still have to face the top 25 teams of Oklahoma and Baylor. They have a solid defense and on offense are led by a run game that ranks 19th in the nation averaging 228.4 rushing yards per game. Last season in the season finale, which was at home, TCU beat Oklahoma State 31-24 and also beat them 44-31 in the previous time they met them on the road in the 2017 season.
Oklahoma State is similar in TCU in that they had lost two in a row before beating ranked team in their last game. The Cowboys took down 23rd ranked Iowa State winning 34-27 where they had fewer yards, but the defense came up big forcing three turnovers. Also, like TCU, Oklahoma State is led by the ground game, and they have one of the best in the nation ranking 5th in rushing yards per game. That unit is led by Chuba Hubbard, who leads the nation in rushing yards by a pretty wide margin.
How the Public is Betting the TCU vs. Oklahoma State Game
The public has backed TCU in this Big 12 showdown, as the Horned Frogs opened as a 4.5-point underdog, and as of Tuesday are a 3-point underdog. The public has also been taking the Over in this game, as the total opened at 63 and now sits at 64.5.
Injury Concerns
TCU
For the Horned Frogs WR Mikel Barkley, RB Emari Demercado, S La’Kendrick Van Zandt, WR Al’Dontre Davis, S Keenen Reed, and WR TreVontae Hights are all listed as questionable, and CB Julius Lewis is listed as probable.
Oklahoma State
The Cowboys have been fortunate on the injury front this season, and LB Calvin Bundage is out indefinitely.
When TCU Has the Ball
While the Horned Frogs have been a run-first team on the season they turned the tables in the Texas win with freshman QB Max Dugan going 19/27 for 273 yards with two TD and one INT and Taye Barber led the team with 94 receiving yards, and he only has 131 receiving yards on the season. Dugan also led the team with 72 rushing yards averaging 5.5 yards per carry with a TD while Darius Anderson (615 yards 6.7 yards per carry) and Sewo Olonilua (319 yards 4.2 yards per carry) only combined for 75 rushing yards and each only averaged three yards per carry. TCU may lean on Dugan and their aerial attack yet again in this conference matchup facing an OSU team that only ranks 117th in the nation in pass defense.
When Oklahoma State Has the Ball
The Cowboys are also a run-first team with Hubbard in the backfield, but they were a balanced team in their win over Iowa State with 249 passing yards and 153 rushing yards. Spencer Sanders passed for 249 yards with 2 TD and one INT, and Tylan Wallace was his main target with 131 receiving yards. To say that Wallace has to be the main concern for the TCU secondary is an understatement, as he leads the Cowboys with 903 receiving yards while the next leading target in Dillon Stoner has 232 receiving yards. Hubbard rushed for 116 yards with a TD and averaged 5.3 yards per carry in the win over Iowa State. It was his 2nd lowest rushing total of the season, but the team still got the win. However, he will get his touches and face a TCU run defense that ranks 15th in the nation.
Betting Trends
On the season TCU is 3-4 ATS, and Oklahoma State is 6-2 ATS, and each team covered the spread in their last game. While the Horned Frogs have failed to cover the spread in five of their last seven road games, the Cowboys have covered in five of their last six home games. The home team has covered the spread in five of the previous seven games between these Big 12 rivals, but the underdog has covered in the last four meetings.
Weather Report
The forecast for Saturday is for a high of 54 degrees and a low of 33 degrees. There is a 10% chance of rain for the game and a slight wind of 8 MPH out of the northwest.
- Get more details: TCU at Oklahoma State NCAAF Match-up Stats
