What Las Vegas thinks about the Longhorns as Big 12, College Football Playoff contenders
With just one regular season game left in 2023, the list of contenders for the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff seem equal in number. That has to do more with the haphazard tiebreaker process sent out by the conference on Sunday night, but either way the Longhorns are looking to clinch a spot in both over the course of the next few weeks.
[Join Inside Texas and get ONE MONTH of Longhorn intel for just $1!]
The Longhorns, at time of publication, were a 14-point favorite over the Texas Tech Red Raiders on FanDuel Sportsbook ahead of their Friday night matchup in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. Texas held -630 odds on the moneyline while the Red Raiders were +450. FanDuel set the over/under at 52.5.
Considering no team has clinched a spot in the Big 12 Championship game, FanDuel couldn’t provide odds for potential matchups like it did for the SEC Championship battle between Alabama and Georgia (-4.5). However, Texas held -210 odds to win the league on Monday, the best of the four teams who had odds available. Oklahoma State was +240, Oklahoma was +750, and Kansas State was a longshot +2900.
Texas clinches a spot in the Big 12 Championship game with a win over Texas Tech. Should the Longhorns lose to the Red Raiders on Friday, Steve Sarkisian’s team can still make it to Arlington if two of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Kansas State lose this weekend.
But the Longhorns have higher aspirations. Texas, by virtue of being a 10-1 team, is in the thick of the College Football Playoff race. The Horns are one of several programs with strong odds on FanDuel to make the four-team field. Current odds are:
- Georgia -360
- Michigan -260
- Oregon -180
- Ohio State -105
- Texas +100
- Alabama +145
- Florida State +160
- Washington +170
- Louisville +1300
Further down the road, Texas has +1400 odds to win the National Championship. The two favorites to take home the title according to FanDuel are Georgia at +230 and Michigan at +280.
Texas battles Texas Tech this Friday at 6:30 p.m. in a game ABC will televise.
