After finishing the regular season 7-5, the Texas A&M Aggies take on the 9-4 Oklahoma State Cowboys as two point favorites in a game with a 53.0-point total. Let’s dive into our Texas A&M-Oklahoma State odds, pick and prediction for this year’s Texas Bowl. If you’re looking for more college football bets, check out our college football betting tools and our guide to betting on football.
Texas Bowl Pick: Texas A&M-Oklahoma State Bet
Texas Bowl Odds
Odds via bet365
Texas A&M: -130 | Oklahoma State: +110
Texas A&M -2.0: -110 | Oklahoma State +2.0: -110
Over 53.0: -110 | Under 53.0: -110
Expert: Matt Gajewski
Time: Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 9:00 p.m. ET
Texas A&M-Oklahoma State News & Notes
Texas A&M Absences: QB Conner Weigman, QB Max Johnson, WR Ainias Smith, WR Evan Stewart, WR Raymond Cottrell, TE Jake Johnson, Edge Fadil Diggs, DT McKinnley Jackson, DL Isaiah Raikes, DL Micaiah Overton, DL LT Overton, DL Walter Nolen, CB Tyreek Chappell, CB Deuce Harmon
Texas A&M Coaching Changes: HC Jimbo Fisher
Oklahoma State Absences: RB Jaden Nixon, WR De’Zhaun Stribling, WR Blaine Greene, WR Jaden Bray
Oklahoma State Coaching Changes: N/A
Texas A&M-Oklahoma State Comparison
| Metric | Texas A&M | Oklahoma State |
|---|---|---|
| Pace | 86th | 29th |
| Overall Offense | 33rd | 52nd |
| Run Blocking | 41st | 98th |
| Pass Blocking | 102nd | 45th |
| Pass Rate | 47th | 18th |
| Overall Defense | 23rd | 91st |
| Run Defense | 22nd | 96th |
| Pass Rush | 19th | 32nd |
| Coverage | 52nd | 95th |
Texas Bowl Pick & Prediction
With the end of the Jimbo Fisher regime has come a mass exodus of premier players. This explains the line movement Oklahoma State’s direction. On paper, Texas A&M still has the more talented recruiting class. However, the inexperience could pose issues against a more experienced, less talented Oklahoma State team.
Starting with the Texas A&M offense, the Aggies will rely on third string signal caller Jaylen Henderson. Henderson initially washed out of Fresno State and opted take the third string job at A&M. Shockingly, he has played efficient football in four appearances with a 67.5% completion percentage for 9.1 yards per attempt. It should be noted that he still struggles with sacks behind a horrific offensive line allowing a 32.3% pressure rate. He will also be down three of his top four receiving options with Evan Stewart and Jake Johnson hitting the transfer portal. Ainias Smith will miss the bowl game with an injury. With all of that said, Texas A&M has three reliable backs led by Le’Veon Moss, who project to lead the offense here.
As for Oklahoma State’s defense, the Cowboys have one strong unit in their pass rush. This will be an advantage their direction, but they rank 96th in run defense and 95th in coverage. Oklahoma State has allowed 30+ point in four straight games, which seems like an inevitability at this point.
As for Oklahoma State’s offense, all of the major contributors remain in place. Veteran Alan Bowman has a 59.6% completion percentage for 6.8 yards per attempt, 13 touchdowns, and 20 turnover worthy plays. He does play behind and elite offensive line, allowing a 17% pressure rate. Bowman also has three strong receiving options in Leon Johnson, Brennan Presley, and Rashod Owen. However, the offense still operates best when flowing though Ollie Gordon. Initial rumors put Gordon in the transfer portal, but he elected to remain with Oklahoma State. After 1,940 all purpose yards, Gordon should be the focus of the offense over a turnover-prone Bowman.
On defense, Texas A&M lost most of their main contributors to the transfer portal. This unit played awesome all season, ranking 23rd overall and 19th in pass rush. However, they will be starting as many as seven new players, depending on a few injury situations. Worse yet, many of these departures come in the front seven. With both offenses holding advantages, looking at an over makes sense here.
Texas Bowl Pick & Prediction and our Texas A&M-Oklahoma State Bet: over 53.0 (-110) at bet365
