Wyoming Cowboys at No. 15 Texas Longhorns
Saturday, 9/1/12, 8:00 PM EST, TV: Longhorn Network
Opening Point Spread: Texas -28
Current Betting Line: Texas -31.5
Opening Total: 51.5
Current Total: 51
Odds Courtesy of Bookmaker
Wyoming returns 13 starters from a team that posted an 8-5 record in 2011, which resulted in finishing third in the Mountain West Conference. “I think we’ve improved in a lot of areas,” commented Cowboys head coach Dave Christensen. The Cowboys will be in for a long contest if they don’t demonstrate the ability to stop the run, ranking 115th in the country last year in that category, allowing 232 yards per game. Wyoming is 7-2 ATS as a road underdog in the last two years, with the “under” going 5-4 in that situation.
The Cowboys are 60-23-1 in season-opening games against non-conference opponents, including a 14-13 mark on the road. Wyoming is opening up away from Laramie for the first time since 2005, which is obviously something new for Christensen. He has won all three of his lid lifters, including a 35-32 win over Weber State in 2011. The program has tallied a 2-9 all-time mark against teams that have participated in the Big 12 Conference since it began competition in 1996.
Texas also finished with an 8-5 record a year ago, as the program looks to regain its national prominence in beginning its 15th season under head coach Mack Brown. He has already made a major decision before the season opener, naming David Ash as the starting quarterback, who rotated with Case McCoy in 2011. “I expected it,” stated Ash this week. “I worked really hard.” It’s important to note that he split six games as a freshman, throwing just four scoring passes and getting intercepted eight times. Texas is 1-3 ATS in the first two weeks of the season the last two years.
The Longhorns hold a 4-0 lead in the all-time series against the Cowboys, which included a 34-7 victory in 2010. Texas welcomes back nine starters on offense and seven starters on defense, while also having a total of 41 letter winners. The club has some weapons on the perimeter to help out Ash, with three wide receivers that caught over 30 passes in 2011. Junior Mike Davis leads the way with 45 catches and 609 yards. Don’t be surprised if this team surprises in 2012, considering four starters return on an offensive line that helped the squad rank 21st in the country with 202.6 rushing yards per game.
Sports bettors will likely back the Cowboys due to their 9-6 ATS mark as an underdog, while the Longhorns are 3-7 ATS when the total is between 49.5 and 56.
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