Texas football vs. OU: Prediction and odds Week 6

In less than 72 hours, No. 3 Texas football and the No. 12 Oklahoma Sooners will square off in the 119th meeting all-time for the Red River Rivalry game. Texas and head coach Steve Sarkisian are off to a great start this season, heading into Red River with an undefeated 5-0 (2-0 Big 12) including wins over two top 25 ranked teams.

Oklahoma is also 5-0 (2-0 Big 12) heading into Red River after a convincing 50-20 win over the Iowa State Cyclones at home in Norman on Sep. 30. Texas’ last game resulted in a 40-14 win at home at DKR in Austin last weekend over the No. 24 Kansas Jayhawks.

Both teams have looked solid out of the gates this season. That has created a scenario where the Longhorns and Sooners both come into Red River undefeated for the first time in over a decade. The last time Texas and Oklahoma were both undefeated heading into Red River was in 2011.

This is also the first time the Longhorns have faced the Sooners in Red River as a top-three-ranked team in the AP Poll since 2009.

For the final time, the Longhorns and Sooners are squaring off as Big 12 foes this weekend. Texas and Oklahoma will still face each other in Red River in the future, just as SEC foes starting in 2024.

Here’s a look at the betting odds and game prediction as No. 3 Texas faces No. 12 Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas at the Texas State Fairgrounds in the Red River Rivalry game on Oct. 7, with the kickoff time set for 11 a.m. CT.

Texas football vs. Oklahoma: Odds for Week 6 2023

Texas is a 6.5-point favorite against Oklahoma in this game, and the over/under is set at 60.5 points (per Caesers Sportsbook).

The spread has moved one point in Texas’ favor since the Longhorns opened as a 5.5-point favorite.

According to the ESPN matchup predictor, Texas has a 45.4 percent chance of beating Oklahoma in Week 6.

Texas football vs. Oklahoma prediction

This is a much better Oklahoma team the Longhorns are facing this weekend than Sark’s squad matched up against last season. First, Venables and the Sooners have fifth-year quarterback Dillon Gabriel healthy for Red River after he missed the rivalry game last season due to an injury.

Secondly, Oklahoma is massively improved on defense and is executing at a higher level consistently in the passing game on offense.

But this is also a better Texas team than Oklahoma faced last season. The Longhorns and Sooners look like the class of the Big 12 in their final year in this conference. The winner of this game should not only claim bragging rights for the final Red River matchup in the Big 12, but it also will have the inside track to getting the Big 12 regular season title and getting a spot in the conference title game in early December.

This game should come down to how Gabriel and the Oklahoma offense fairs against this stout Texas defense and if the Longhorns can avoid the miscues that plagued them at different points last weekend against Kansas.

Texas has the depth and talent necessary to get the job done against Oklahoma for the second year in a row. As long as this group converts on its opportunities, especially in the red zone, the Longhorns should take care of business against the Sooners.

Final score prediction: Texas-37, Oklahoma-31