Betting the Big 12: Coronation Weekend

Since today is a national holiday, and many of you are stuffing your faces with turkey and mashed potatoes, I will keep this post nice and brief. I don't want to deprave your drunk uncle of your undue attention as he tells you why the Cowboys are still America's team.

As a side note, I have realized that I am that drunk uncle (minus the whole "America's team" thing because the NFL bores me and I despise Jerry Jones and everything he stands for or touches) at our family gatherings and decided last year to fully embrace the role.

For those of you following along with my yearly stats: I'm around or slightly below .500, and let's just say Kansas screwed me over two weeks ago in their matchup with TCU.

So, I have run out of fake money and the fake bank turned down my fake loan application. There will be no money bet, fake-ly, this week.

Texas Tech Red Raiders @ Texas Longhorns – Thursday, November 26 @ 6:30 PM – FS1

Line: Texas -1.5

O/U: 72.5

This is only the fourth time this season that the Texas Longhorns have been favored in a game, and they are 2-0 ATS in conference games where they are home favorites.

You should know my opinion of Texas Tech on the road by now. If you need a refresher: they bad.

My bet: Texas -1.5 and the Under (Tech can't score on the road and Texas just plain has trouble scoring at all).

Baylor Bears @ TCU Horned Frogs – Friday, November 27 @ 6:30 PM –ESPN

Line: Baylor -1.5

O/U: 78.5

61-58.

That was the score of this game last season in Waco after Baylor quickly scored 24 fourth quarter points to overcome their 21 point deficit.

Gone from this matchup are Heisman contenders Bryce Petty and Trevone Boykin (unsure of status for game). Even Petty's backup, and his backup's backup, are ruled out for this game after each suffered season ending injuries during conference play.

TCU showed they can still contend without Boykin, blowing an opportunity for overtime in Norman by going for two last Saturday, and I'm not sure it matters much who plays quarterback for Art Briles anymore.

So, really, I got nothing for you here and am just throwing up a wild guess.

My bet: TCU -1.5

Iowa State Cyclones @ West Virginia Mountaineers – Saturday, November 28 @ 11:00 AM – FS1

Line: WVU -14

O/U: 59.5

Paul Rhoads will lead the Cyclones onto the field for the last time Saturday morning in Morgantown. I was not one who applauded the change, but felt it was certainly necessary to make the move regardless to how much I respect the man.

Much of Cyclone Nation feels the same way.

Now it is up to his team—it is still his team until the final whistle blows on Saturday—to follow the playbook opened by AD Jamie Pollard, who is allowing Rhoads' entire family to be there for his last game, and help their coach go out with his head held high.

West Virginia is a talented team and are 5-1 at home this season, with their lone loss coming on Oct. 10 to a visiting Oklahoma State team in the middle of probably the toughest four-game run in the Big 12. They have one more game following this one: a trip to Manhattan to face Kansas State. It's Senior Night, and their coach is probably two losses away from joining Rhoads in the unemployment line.

They will be hungry.

We will be hungry.

You are probably not hungry, since you've likely eaten all day long at this point, but this should be a good game regardless of records.

Win one for Rhoads, men.

My bet: Iowa State 42, West Virginia 38

Kansas State Wildcats @ Kansas Jayhawks – Saturday, November 28 @ 3:00 PM – FS1

Line: KSU -20

O/U: 54.5

Nobody cares about this game except people from Kansas.

Nobody cares about those people.

My bet: KU upset

Oklahoma Sooners @ Oklahoma State Cowboys – Saturday, November 28 @ 7:00 PM – ABC

Line: OU -7

O/U: 68

No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 11 Oklahoma State.

Bedlam.

If Oklahoma wins, it is the Big 12 Champion and will almost certainly play on New Year's Eve for a spot in the National Championship Game.

The Sooners traditionally own this matchup with an all-time record of 84-18-7.

Bob Stoops is 12-4 in the series since he became the head coach in 1999. He is 8-2 against Mike Gundy.

The last three games have been close, none decided by more than nine points, and a 33-24 Sooner victory in Stillwater in 2013.

Oklahoma State would love nothing more than to ruin the Sooner's championship dreams, but this game affects more than just the state of Oklahoma. If Oklahoma loses, and the Big 12 is once again left out of the CFB Playoff, chaos could be waiting for us in 2016. The conference sits in jeopardy as it is with the University of Texas pouting like a petulant child because some new kids usurped their role as King of the Playground. This could be the catalyst that sends the entire conference crumbling, or at least be the moment we all point to as the beginning of the end.

But none of that matters to the Cowboys this weekend.

This is Bedlam.

My bet: Chaos

Happy Thanksgiving, Cyclone Fans!

Narber's Best ATS Bet

Iowa @ Nebraska (+2.5). Give me those Huskers outright. Let the world burn.