The Oregon Ducks take on the Washington State Cougars this week in a game that will feature the Pac-12’s second-leading rusher, Royce Freeman (613 yards, 7 TDs), and second-leading passer, Luke Falk (1,459 yards, 10 TDs). The Ducks have gone 3-2 thus far, while the Cougars are 2-2. The game starts at 6:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct 10 and will be available on PACN.
In last week’s matchup, Oregon defeated Colorado 41-24. Bralon Addison had a quality performance, putting up 26 total yards. He did the most damage on the ground, putting up 17 yards. Taj Griffin also had a great game with 110 rushing yards and a TD on 11 carries. Washington State is hoping for a different outcome after losing to California 34-28. Gabe Marks had a huge game for the Cougars, grabbing 10 receptions for 141 yards and one TD. Luke Falk had a great game as well, adding 389 yards and two TDs through the air.
The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is currently not available and the Cougars are a big 20-point underdog.
Even with a positive Straight Up (SU) record of 3-2, the Ducks have not been an excellent bet so far this year, going 2-3 Against The Spread (ATS). A focal point of Oregon’s offense is the running game, which ranks eighth in the country with 300.4 rushing yards per game. In the first quarter, Oregon is tough to stop, putting up 10.6 points in the first 15 minutes. Oregon makes the most of its talent on special teams, averaging a Division I-high 175.2 return yards per game.
As for their opponent, the Cougars head into Week 6 with records of 2-2 for both ATS and SU. Chances are Washington State will continue to rely on its passing attack, where its 369.2 passing yards per game ranks seventh in the nation. Shifting to the other side of the ball, it might be tough for the Ducks to keep up with Washington State’s defense in a few areas. The Cougars have been embarrassing their opponent’s offensive lines this year. Washington State’s defense ranks 17th in the country with an average of three sacks per game. The Cougars will look to put the ball in the end zone against an Oregon defense that allows an average of 10.4 points in the second quarter, one of the worst marks in the nation. Washington State is good at avoiding penalties this season. The team only receives 4.2 per game on average, the 11th-fewest in the country.
Predictions: SU Winner – Oregon, ATS Winner – Oregon
Notes
Oregon is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Oregon is 18-4 SU in its last 22 games.
Oregon is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home.
Oregon is 19-3 SU in its last 22 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oregon’s last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of Oregon’s last 12 games when playing Washington State.
Oregon is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Washington State.
Oregon is 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Washington State.
Oregon is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games when playing at home against Washington State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Oregon’s last 5 games when playing at home against Washington State.
Washington State is 2-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Oregon is 3-0 SU when carrying a lead into the fourth quarter.
Remarkably, Oregon is winless (0-2 SU) in games where it comes out ahead in the turnover battle, yet undefeated (3-0 SU) when losing the turnover battle.
According to overall FBS team rankings, Oregon is rated higher in the ground game on both sides of the ball. Its eighth-ranked rushing attack will face the 63rd-ranked run defense of Washington State, while its 61st-ranked rush defense will look to contain the 127th-ranked running game of the Cougars.
