The Big 12 went 13-2 in Week 1, but apparently that wasn’t enough to earn much respect from Las Vegas.
The opening lines for Week 2 of the college football season are out, and several Big 12 teams will enter marquee non-conference games as significant underdogs.
And we’re not talking about the bottom of the conference, either.
Kansas opened as a 6.5-point home underdog against Missouri in Friday night’s Border Showdown. The Jayhawks handled LIU, 51-6, in Week 1, while Missouri cruised past Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 54-14.
Then there’s Arizona State. The Sun Devils opened their season with a 70-7 demolition of Morgan State. Their reward? A trip to College Station as a 14.5-point underdog against Texas A&M.
Iowa State isn’t getting much love, either. The Cyclones beat Southeast Missouri, 38-10, but opened as a 13.5-point road underdog against Iowa in the Cy-Hawk game.
Of course, the most eye-popping number involves Oklahoma State.
After the Cowboys’ disastrous 24-10 loss to Tulsa in Eric Morris’ debut, oddsmakers wasted no time adjusting expectations. Oklahoma State opened as roughly a three-touchdown home underdog against Oregon, with an opening number around Oregon -20.5. That number has already begun moving further toward the Ducks.
UCF also finds itself catching more than a touchdown on the road against Pitt after the Knights rolled Bethune-Cookman, 73-6.
So, yes, the Big 12 had a strong opening weekend. But Vegas is clearly asking the conference to prove it against better competition.
| Big 12 Week 2 Game | Opening Line |
|---|---|
| Missouri at Kansas | Missouri -6.5 |
| Oregon at Oklahoma State | Oregon -20.5 |
| Arizona State at Texas A&M | Texas A&M -14.5 |
| Washington State at Kansas State | Kansas State -16.5 |
| UT Martin at West Virginia | No Line |
| Arizona at BYU | BYU -7 |
| UCF at Pitt | Pitt -8.5 |
| Weber State at Colorado | No Line |
| Western Carolina at Cincinnati | No Line |
| Southern at Houston | No Line |
| Iowa State at Iowa | Iowa -13.5 |
| Texas Tech at Oregon State | Texas Tech -27.5 |
| Prairie View A&M at Baylor | No Line |
| Grambling State at TCU | No Line |
| Arkansas at Utah | Utah -11.5 |
Note: These are opening lines and may differ from current odds as betting markets move throughout the week.
There are exceptions.
Utah opened as a double-digit favorite at home against Arkansas after dismantling Idaho, 66-14. Texas Tech is also a massive favorite at Oregon State, while BYU is favored by roughly a touchdown over Arizona in the first Big 12 conference game of the season.
But the bigger story is the opportunity staring the conference in the face.
If Kansas beats Missouri, Arizona State knocks off Texas A&M or Iowa State wins in Iowa City, the Big 12 will pick up the kind of non-conference victories that could matter when College Football Playoff résumés are being compared in November and December. Heck, at this point, one of those three would be huge for the Big 12’s reputation in 2026.
If those teams lose the way the opening lines suggest they will, however, Week 1’s 13-2 record won’t mean nearly as much.
Vegas has made its initial judgment on the Big 12. Now the conference gets a chance to prove it wrong.
