The Maine Black Bears (4-4) travel to Norman, Oklahoma, to take on the Oklahoma Sooners (4-4) in nonconference action on Saturday, Nov. 2. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. ET and can be seen live on ESPN+.
Oklahoma is coming off a 26-14 loss to Ole Miss after building a halftime lead. Maine, meanwhile, most recently lost to Rhode Island, 24-14.
Oklahoma is a heavy 34.5-point favorite with the total set at 45. That leads me into my Maine vs. Oklahoma predictions and college football picks for Saturday, Nov. 2.
Maine Black Bears vs Oklahoma Sooners Prediction
- Maine vs. Oklahoma Pick: Oklahoma -34.5
Maine vs Oklahoma Odds, Line, Spread
| Maine Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+35.5 -110 | 47.5 -115 / -105 | N/A |
| Oklahoma Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-35.5 -110 | 47.5 -115 / -105 | N/A |
- Maine vs Oklahoma Point Spread: Oklahoma -35.5
- Maine vs Oklahoma Over/Under: 47.5 Points
Maine vs Oklahoma Preview
Maine Black Bears Betting Preview: Can Black Bears Bounce Back?
Maine is coming off a tough 24-14 road loss to Rhode Island. The Black Bears struggled to run the ball and averaged just 1.9 yards per carry with 57 yards on the day.
The Bears are undersized on the offensive line and struggle to run the ball, averaging just 116 yards rushing per game on the year on 3.4 yards per attempt.
The back-and-forth battle saw Rhode Island score twice in the fourth quarter to pull away.
Maine has had an up-and-down season with solid performances in wins over Albany and Villanova and tough losses against the stronger teams on its schedule.
In a two-game stretch earlier this season, Maine's defense was severely exposed. Against Montana State, it gave up 526 yards and 41 points. There was a similar outcome against Monmouth, as the Hawks put up 51 points and 632 total offensive yards.
Oklahoma Sooners Betting Preview: Looking to Get Back on Track
The Sooners come in as a significantly more talented team and have played much stiffer competition. Oklahoma has been up against it in recent weeks, playing Texas, South Carolina and Ole Miss in its past three games.
The offense has struggled against stiff defensive competition, and those struggles continued in the second half last week against Ole Miss.
Oklahoma had just one first down in its first four possessions of the second half, and the defense struggled to contain the Rebels offense during that stretch.
A four-point Oklahoma halftime lead quickly turned to a 12-point deficit as the Sooners were shut out in the second half.
The Sooners will have tremendous success running the ball in this game with Jovantae Barnes and Taylor Tatum. The offensive line should create holes and the backs should consistently get to the second level of the defense before contact.
How to Bet Maine vs Oklahoma
I am going to lay the points here with Oklahoma at -34.5, as this game will be a staggering mismatch in talent.
Maine's defense has struggled significantly at points this season. Oklahoma is in another class, and I can't see a path where Maine gets the stops necessary to cover this spread.
Protecting the quarterback has also been problematic, as the Black Bears have seen quarterback Carter Peevy get sacked 23 times this season.
Defensively, the Black Bears have given up 364 yards per game and 5.9 yards per play. They have played well against lesser competition but have been prone to giving up plenty of points against better offenses and certainly have their work cut out for them this week.
Oklahoma needs a big win and should be able to exert its will over Maine. Similar to how they played to open the season against Temple, the Sooners are going to be so much bigger in size and faster than the Black Bears.
I know Oklahoma's recent performances throw out some serious questions about its talent at the SEC level, but facing a middling CAA team that has already had its defense exposed several times this season alleviates those concerns for me.
Additionally, Oklahoma is still a proud program with a long-standing bowl streak. The Sooners haven't missed a bowl game since 1998 and still need a couple of wins to secure a 6-6 record.
Mathematically, Maine is still alive to win the CAA, and I'd guess the Black Bears are focused on avoiding injury and getting out of this unwinnable game healthy.
Pick: Oklahoma -34.5
Maine vs Oklahoma Live: Start Time, TV Channel, How to Watch
| Location: | Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Norman, OK |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 2 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | SEC Network+ |
Maine vs Oklahoma Betting Trends
- Maine is 2-3 in its last five games and 2-2 against the spread in its last five.
- Oklahoma is 1-4 in its last five games and 1-4 against the spread in its last five.
Maine vs Oklahoma Weather
