The Arizona Wildcats and the Oregon Ducks played for the Pac-12 championship in 2014. They have both profoundly struggled since then and are trying to make their way back to the top.
For Arizona, they have won five of their last six and their offense has come to life under Khalil Tate. With only Arizona State left after this, the Wildcats could conceivably get to eight or nine wins, which would be a huge success.
For Oregon, they started 3-0 but it’s been rough ever since. They’ve lost five of seven and are coming off a 38-3 blowout loss at Washington. They need one more win to be bowl eligible, which would be a success for them.
Neither team will reach the top this season, but both teams can begin to build toward next season, when both schools are expected to be noticeably better. This is a momentum-shaping game with an eye on 2018.
Details
Odds: Oregon -2
Date & Time: Saturday, November 18, 7:00 PM ET
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Reasons To Bet On The Arizona Wildcats
The biggest reason to bet on Arizona in this game is the best reason to bet on Arizona in any remaining game this season. Quarterback Khalil Tate has stepped in after the first four games of Arizona’s season and transformed the Wildcats’ offense, and by extension the whole team. Tate has generated at least 300 yards of total offense – combining rushing and passing – in every game he has played except one, and in that one game, he still cracked over 270 yards. Tate is an overwhelmingly fast runner who makes enough good reads of the defense at the line of scrimmage to get defenders, especially linebackers and safeties, out of position so that he can dart upfield and gain large chunks of yardage. Tate still has a lot of things he needs to learn and master about head coach Rich Rodriguez’s offense, which is why Arizona has so much upside for 2018. Nevertheless, even for all of his imperfections, Tate is very hard to contain. USC bottled him up for nearly three full quarters, but he busted loose and led Arizona to three relatively quick touchdowns which turned a lopsided game into a 28-28 tie. USC eventually won the game, but Tate made a loud statement that even USC’s defense could not fully contain him.
Oregon’s defense is better than it was a year ago, but the Ducks are still not fully restored. They are still a work in progress, and have not seen a quarterback as fast as Tate. The matchup against Oregon’s defense still favors Arizona’s offense.
The other big reason to pick Arizona: Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert is still getting back into a rhythm after a midseason injury took him out of the lineup for several games. It is harder to predict which version of Herbert will show up. Arizona has the more reliable quarterback.
Reasons To Bet On The Oregon Ducks
The Arizona defense gave up 44 points to a relatively mediocre California offense. The Wildcats were also vulnerable to USC’s attack. Arizona’s offense has catapulted the Wildcats to a midseason resurgence, but the defense has been vulnerable the whole time. Oregon has been ravaged by injuries at quarterback this season, but with Herbert back in the saddle, the Ducks have their best quarterback, playing at home, with a chance to attack a vulnerable defense. If this game becomes a shootout, Oregon can win it. That’s important.
Outlook
It is true that Oregon can win a shootout, but is Oregon likely to win one? Tate is mounting a Heisman Trophy campaign, and the thing about Tate which demands attention is that he doesn’t really have bad games. He always gets a lot of yardage and always leads the Arizona offense in a reliably productive way. That is better to bet on than Oregon’s quarterback situation (although Hebert looks like he’ll start) or the Ducks’ offense in general. Take Arizona in a game which is a pick ‘em.
Prediction: Wildcats +2
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