The Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners enter their last Big 12 season before moving to the SEC next year. These two programs stand tall in the early odds and projections, with Texas offered at even money to take the conference crown.
In reality, only two other schools are capable of taking these two sides down in the battle for the Big 12 Championship — the reigning champions, the Kansas State Wildcats, and potential dark horses, the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
The rest of the field, including the four newcomers — Cincinnati, Houston, Central Florida, and BYU — and national finalist TCU, will hardly get to the headlines this time.
Read on for our expert’s top betting picks from the rich array of the Big 12 futures markets across the most popular sportsbooks in the United States.
Learn More: Expert NFL Picks and Predictions
- Quality mobile app
- Variety of betting markets
- Same game parlays
Betting Pick #1 — Texas Longhorns to Win Big 12 at +100 with FanDuel Sportsbook
Texas went 8-5 last season, but each defeat has come in single digits. They are stacked offensively with bountiful routes to points. We would even dare to rate the Longhorns’ offensive unit as one of the best in the country at the moment. Coach Steve Sarkisian has returned as many as 15 starters from the last season.
One of the main Heisman trophy favorites, Quinn Ewers, comes back to lead the offense for the second straight year. Bijan Robinson may no longer be with the team, but Ewers still has a plethora of weapons to use for his plays.
Jordan Whittington and Xavier Worthy will provide top-notch receiving options, while Ja’Tavion Sanders and Adonai Mitchell offer additional superb solutions on the offensive end.
One must wonder about Texas’ chances of going all the way. They are +2000 to win the championship. Make no mistake; this offensive unit can take them there. The problem, however, appears on the opposite end of the ball as the defensive line does not follow the offensive strength.
The Longhorns lack depth in defense and will struggle to keep some of the elite teams in the nation quiet. This is why we will skip the championship odds for now, as tempting as they seem at +2000.
The Longhorns will be favorites in all but one regular season game. The exception will come early in the season as Sarkisian’s men travel to Tuscaloosa in September to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in a non-conference affair.
Even with this potential defeat (and who says the Longhorns can’t get an upset win on the road?), Texas is still bound to win the conference with the remaining successes.
Finally, the Longhorns will play the other two of the most important games of the season in front of fans as both the Kansas State Wildcats and the Texas Tech Red Raiders come to visit Austin. Taking everything into consideration, we have to go with the Longhorns to win the conference at the +100 odds.
A bit more adventurous punters can back Texas to make it to the 2023/24 College Football Playoffs at the hefty +320 price tag. The Longhorns do have the capacity for such an accomplishment, and they do not even need to be extra lucky to get there, meaning the value is great at these odds.
Head to FanDuel and place your bets on Texas to take the win!
Betting Pick #2 — Texas Tech Red Raiders Over 7.5 Regular Season Wins at +110 with BetMGM Sportsbook
This seems like an even better pick than the Longhorns to win the conference at even money. The Red Raiders are our second favorites for the Big 12 Championship this year, although the sportsbooks have them only as fourth. There are several facts to back such reasoning.
First of all, we must mention the injuries Texas Tech’s offensive unit had to deal with last season. The team returned 14 players from the previous campaign and they are all healthy ahead of the 2023 season. Furthermore, the Red Raiders’ offense will be stronger for Rusty Staats, who had an extraordinary run with West Virginia last time out.
Even with so many injury woes and a weaker roster overall, the Red Raiders managed to average 34.2 points per game in the previous campaign. We certainly expect this number to increase as offensive coordinator Zach Kittley and quarterback Tyler Shough know how to get the most out of this team.
The schedule is another factor going well in Texas Tech’s favor. They will skip the Oklahoma Sooners in the regular season, and they will get to host both Kansas State and TCU along the way. Sportsbooks have the Red Raiders’ win line at 7.5 ahead of the start of the season, and we will take the Over pick all day long in these circumstances at favorable -105 odds.
TCU and Kansas State will surely see a drop in performances compared to their extraordinary campaigns last season. Both teams have lost pretty much half of their regulars since then. Every other game in the regular season except the trip to Austin for the clash against the Longhorns is very much winnable for this team.
Back the Red Raiders at BetMGM, where all new players get their first bet insured up to $1000!
- Welcome offer activates if your first bet loses
- Great mobile betting experience
- Variety of betting markets on offer
*Except NY & NV. Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Additional terms apply.
Betting Pick #3 — Quinn Ewers to Win the 2023 Heisman Trophy at +1200 with FanDuel Sportsbook
This is one of our favorite long shots ahead of the new season. We have already written everything about the Longhorns and their offensive unit above. Quinn Ewers is the man who leads the offense that is expected to fire on all cylinders throughout the entire season.
Obviously, whether he will win the award or not depends on what the Longhorns achieve as a program in the upcoming campaign. We will find out the answers to many of the questions on September 9, when Texas visits the Alabama Crimson Tide in a blockbuster affair.
If the Longhorns get the win in Tuscaloosa, the odds for Quinn Ewers to take the 2023 Heisman Trophy will drop immediately.
Yes, Caleb Williams is the standout candidate at +500, and there are many other explosive options, including Jayden Daniels and Jordan Travis. That said, we do expect much shorter odds for Quinn to get the prestigious award in case of Texas win at Alabama early on.
It is a bet well worth taking at +1200 odds right now, especially since the Longhorns can still make it to the CFB Playoff, even with the loss to the Crimson Tide.
Bet with FanDuel to enjoy +1200 odds on Ewars to take home the Heisman!
Learn More: Most Popular US Sportsbooks That Accept PayPal
