3 Best College Football Bets and Player Props for Ole Miss at Oklahoma

While the No. 15 Missouri Tigers visiting the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores will be featured on College GameDay in Week 9, the No. 8 Mississippi Rebels taking on the No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners is arguably this week's top college football matchup. Both teams carry postseason hopes as Ole Miss has -104 odds to make the College Football Playoff while Oklahoma sports a +168 line.

For Saturday's 12:00 p.m. ET kick off, the Sooners are favored by 5.5 points after dismantling the South Carolina Gamecocks 26-7 as 4.5-point favorites last week. Meanwhile, the Rebels come off its first loss of the season in a shootout against the Georgia Bulldogs (43-35). Both teams are still clear contenders in the SEC. How should we bet Saturday's matchup?

All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

OIe Miss at Oklahoma Betting Picks

Under 53.5 (-115)

Several injuries could impact the total of this matchup. Starting with Ole Miss, quarterback Austin Simmons is expected to be active on Saturday. However, Trinidad Chambliss has won this job as he's expected to remain the starter. Chambliss has a tough task ahead as Oklahoma is allowing 10.5 points per game (second-fewest) and the fewest NET expected points added (EPA) per play -- via Game On Paper. Furthermore, he could be without two of his top three targets as tight end Dae'Quan Wright (393 receiving yards) and Deuce Alexander (382 receiving yards) are questionable.

The Rebels already have a 55.0% rush-play rate (42nd), and this could only increase if Wright and/or Alexander are absent. The Sooners are ceding only 2.3 yards per carry (second-fewest) while giving up the 10th-fewest EPA per rushing attempt. Oklahoma also surrenders the fewest EPA per dropback -- which would make throwing downfield even more difficult with injuries. Being one dimensional against an elite defense usually means underwhelming results.

For the Sooners, their offensive line continues to deal with a load of injuries. Starting lineman Troy Everett is already out for the season, and left tackle Jacob Sexton continues to miss time. Right tackle Derek Simmons is questionable for Saturday, and backup tackles Logan Howland and Jake Taylor carry uncertain statuses. If these three questionable tackles cannot go, OU would be left with two offensive tackles on the roster. This unit already ranks 88th in quarterback sack rate allowed.

The run game remains inefficient, for the Sooners post 3.7 yards per carry (100th) while ranking 102nd in EPA per rushing attempt. The Rebels' strength on defense is in the secondary, ranking 47th in EPA per dropback allowed while opponents post 6.3 yards per passing attempt (24th). This paired with poor pass protection for quarterback John Mateer should mean a frustrating day.

Trinidad Chambliss Over 35.5 Rushing Yards (-114)

Chambliss' mobility is one factor that's led to him becoming Ole Miss' starting quarterback. The Rebels have a versatile run game as tailback Kewan Lacy leads the way with 618 rushing yards while Chambliss is second on the team with 323 rushing yards.

Mississippi hasn't be afraid to utilize his legs, for Chambliss is totaling 12.6 rushing attempts per game over the last five. He's reached 40 rushing yards in four of the five contests, averaging 60.4 rushing yards per game during the span.

We mentioned injury worries in the passing game. This could lead to a more prominent rushing attack, potentially increasing Chambliss' usage on the ground. Of course, we have to worry about sacks taking away from rushing totals at the collegiate level. Ole Miss is giving up the 10th-lowest sack rate, and we mentioned Chambliss' solid rushing averages over his five starts.

OU's 23-6 loss against the Texas Longhorns could be a blueprint for this prop. Texas gave up only one sack while Arch Manning totaled four carries for 34 rushing yards. With a larger workload, Chambliss has a chance to surge past 35.5 rushing yards with solid pass pro -- drawing attention to 50+ rushing yards (+162).

Tory Blaylock 70+ Rushing Yards (+146)

As mentioned, Oklahoma's inefficiency on the ground has been a glaring flaw. However, running back Tory Blaylock has been trustworthy thanks 4.5 yards per carry. Similar to Ole Miss, injuries may force the Sooners to run the rock more often.

Blaylock comes off a season-high 101 rushing yards on 19 carries (5.3 yards per attempt). Keep in mind the South Carolina Gamecocks rank 55th in EPA per rushing attempt allowed. The Rebels feature a much more vulnerable rush defense, ranked 125th in EPA per carry allowed. Furthermore, opponents total 4.8 yards per rushing attempt (108th).

The freshman halfback has received double-digit carries in five consecutive games and is totaling 65.0 rushing yards per game during the span. Considering the matchup ahead, we have a clear over pick for his 55.5 rushing yard line.

In fact, I'm willing to take it a step further by targeting his 70+ rushing yard alternate line (+146). He's gone over 75 rushing yards in two of the last three. After giving up 221 rushing yards last week and 4.5 yards per carry in back-to-back games, Ole Miss' front seven could struggle against Blaylock.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.