Categories
NCAA Football

UL Monroe Warhawks vs. OU Sooners Gambling Predictions & Week 1 Preview

Louisiana-Monroe vs Oklahoma NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping

The No. 16 Oklahoma Sooners capped off their 10-3 season with a humiliating 41-13 loss to Texas A&M in the 2013 Cotton Bowl. Now, with 10 new starters, including redshirt freshman quarterback Trevor Knight, the Sooners look to get a chance at redemption.

Louisiana-Monroe (0-0) vs. (16) Oklahoma (0-0)
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013
Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue:   Memorial Stadium
City: Norman 
O/U Odds: 60
Spread: Oklahoma -21
[dfads params=’groups=63740&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]

ATS Matchup Stats | Gambling Insight!

Check out our in-house Handicapper!!! Buy Razor Ray’s NCAA FOOTBALL Picks Today!

And it all begins with a matchup against a tougher-than-expected Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks football team that earned its first-ever berth in a bowl game last year.

The Warhawks are returning 17 starters, including senior quarterback Kolton Browning, and the team looks ready after being hammered by Ohio 45-14, in last year’s Independence Bowl.

*CLICK HERE* GRAB OUR BEST Expert College FOOTBALL Picks for 2013 GAMBLING season!

Browning threw for 3,049 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, and will get the chance at improving those numbers with the return of the team’s number two and three receivers from a year ago. Senior Je’Ron Hamm had 62 receptions for 915 yards and six touchdowns, while Tavarese May hauled in four scores and 56 catches.

That will keep a Sooners’ inexperienced secondary busy, as it returned just one standout in All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin.

But that’s not the only aera of concern for Oklahoma, as its D-line returns just one standout from last season’s unit.

Meanwhile, junior quarterback Blake Bell, whose last three seasons has ended in disappointment will lead the Sooners offense.

Bell will however, have a good backfield to help him along in senior running back Damien Williams, who was Oklahoma’s leading rusher last season, with 946 yards and 11 touchdowns. [soliloquy id=”82219″]

To keep the Warhawks guessing, veteran senior Jalen Saunders will be the team’s biggest passing threat, wrecking havoc on a Louisiana-Monroe defense that has some serious holes in its secondary just a season ago.

The team allowed a whopping 33 touchdown passes last season and hasn’t added much skill to change indicate that it will be any better this year.

Matt’s free prediction:

Once saving grace in this one is the fact the Warhawks can score. They put up 63 on Tulane, 43 on Western Kentucky and 42 on North Texas last season.

Nevertheless, the Sooners can score too and will likely go to the air early.

If they have any success, it could be often, meaning this could be a surprise shootout if both quarterbacks get going, even though on paper ULM appears to be outgunned in every phase of the game.

I’m going to go out on a limb here, and say that this is going to be a little closer than most are anticipating.

However, in the end, the Sooners will find a way to get it done, but not by the 21-points needed to cover the spread.

Oklahoma 31 – Louisiana-Monroe 28

[soliloquy id=”82219″]

By Matt Martz

Matt has returned to CappersPicks.com. The pull was too great. He missed providing his free picks and insider sports gambling analysis to his loyal readers. Please take it easy on him till he gets back into his groove. Cheers!