The Michigan State Spartans are entering the Redbox Bowl as underdogs as they prepare to battle the Oregon Ducks. The afternoon game kicks off at 3:00 p.m. ET and interested parties can watch the action on FOX.
Michigan State Spartans at Oregon Ducks Betting Preview
In this early-week game, Oregon is getting picked as the favorite and is currently giving up 3 points. The Spartans are also receiving +135 moneyline odds while the Ducks are -155. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 48 points. There might be some decent live betting scenarios for the game.
The total hasn’t changed after it was initially placed at 48. Having said that, the line opened at -2 and square bettors are hammering the Ducks.
The Spartans are 4-8 against the spread (ATS) and have lost 1.9 units so far. They’ve been a good under bet and have posted an O/U record of 4-8. The Ducks are down 0.9 units for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 5-7 ATS and own an O/U record of 5-7.
The Spartans have gone 7-5 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Ducks are 8-4 SU.
The Spartans are coming off a 14-10 win over Rutgers on November 24. The passing game wasn’t great as Rocky Lombardi completed just 19 passes on 43 attempts for 173 yards, along with a score and a pick. Connor Heyward (81 yards on 19 rush attempts) and the signal-caller Lombardi (18 yards on 10 carries) led the ground attack. Darrell Stewart Jr. (seven receptions, 53 yards) and Heyward (four catches, 27 yards) shared the receiving duties in the win.
The Oregon Ducks just put together a 55-15 win over Oregon State. The defensive secondary allowed the Beavers to air it out for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Isaiah Hodgins had a good showing in the loss for Oregon State, recording 133 yards on eight catches. For Oregon, Justin Herbert completed nine-of-12 passes for 102 yards and one touchdown. Travis Dye (199 rushing yards on 33 attempts, two TDs) and CJ Verdell (187 yards on 23 carries, four TDs) handled the running game while Jaylon Redd (three receptions, 24 yards) and Jacob Breeland (two catches, 40 yards) led the receiving corps in the win.
Michigan State’s run the ball on 47.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Oregon has an overall rush percentage of 56.6 percent. The Spartans have produced 122 rush yards per game and have 14 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Ducks are putting up 191 rushing yards per game and have 28 total rush TDs.
The Spartans offense has tallied 221 yards/game through the air overall and has 12 passing scores so far. The Ducks have produced 255 pass yards per contest and have 28 total pass TDs.
Defensively, Michigan State appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 81 yards and throw for 230 yards per game. The Oregon defense has given up 247.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 143.1 yards per game to opposing runners. The Spartans are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.76 to opposing QBs, while the Ducks have allowed a 5.85 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Lombardi is up to 592 yards this season. He’s completed 53-of-113 attempts with three scores through the air and two interceptions. He has a 4.47 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 2.62 over the last two games.
On the other sideline, Justin Herbert has connected on 202-of-337 passes for 2,723 yards, 26 TDs and six INTs. Herbert’s ANY/A sits at 8.03 for the season and 6.31 over his last two outings.
NCAA Pick: Michigan State Spartans vs. Oregon Ducks
SU Winner – Oregon, ATS Winner – Oregon, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
Oregon has lost 10 fumbles this season while Michigan State has let eight get away.
The Oregon defensive unit has sacked opposing quarterbacks 26 times this season. Michigan State has recorded 25 sacks.
Michigan State has produced 3.6 yards per carry across its last three games and 3.7 over its last two.
Oregon has averaged 5.2 yards per carry over its last three contests and 5.6 over its past two.
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