The Oregon Ducks take on the Arizona Wildcats. Check out our college football odds series for our Oregon Arizona prediction and pick.
The Oregon Ducks have rebounded quite convincingly from their Week 1 no-show against Georgia. They thumped BYU, came back on the road to beat Washington State in the final minutes, and hammered Stanford. Oregon is unbeaten in Pac-12 play and knows that either Utah or UCLA will lose a game this weekend, giving the Ducks a chance to take the lead in the conference. If USC loses to Washington State, the Ducks and the Utah-UCLA winner would sit atop the conference, looking down on everyone else. That would be a very good place to be heading into the middle of October. Oregon does play UCLA later this month, so there is certainly a temptation to look ahead to that showdown versus the Bruins. The Ducks have to stay on task as they go to Tucson, a place where they have often struggled over the past decade. Avoiding the ambush is job one for coach Dan Lanning's crew.
Quarterback Bo Nix is playing well, working comfortably within the flow of the Oregon offense. The key for the Ducks has been their offensive line. It is giving Nix a clean pocket and plenty of time to throw. Nix is making the most of the protection he is receiving. This is clearly the No. 1 key to victory against an Arizona defense which is ripe for the picking. Arizona gave up 49 points to Cal a few weeks ago and simply does not have a highly physical presence on the defensive side of the ball. If Oregon's offense dominates Arizona's defense, that gives Oregon's defense plenty of margin for error against the Wildcats' potent offense.
Let's talk about that matchup. Arizona quarterback Jayden de Laura is very familiar with Oregon, having faced the Ducks last year as Washington State's signal-caller before he transferred to Tucson in the offseason. De Laura has plenty of upside as a quarterback. He makes careless and reckless plays, but he also makes highlight-reel throws. If de Laura has a great game and plays to the height of his capacities, Oregon could be in for a fight, especially if its offense isn't fully sharp.
Here are the Oregon-Arizona College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Oregon-Washington State Odds
Oregon Ducks: -13.5 (-110)
Arizona Wildcats: +13.5 (-110)
Over: 70.5 (-110)
Under: 70.5 (-110)
Why Oregon Could Cover the Spread
The Ducks simply have too much speed and too many weapons for Arizona's defense to contain. Arizona was overpowered by California, which does not have a very good offense. Washington State limited Cal to just nine points this past weekend. Arizona is not equipped to handle Oregon's offense if the Ducks play to their capabilities on offense. What complicates the matter for Arizona is that its pass rush does not seem likely to handle Oregon's offensive line and create pressure on Bo Nix. If it can't do that, it probably won't be able to mount a serious threat in this game.
Why Arizona Could Cover the Spread
Washington State scored 41 points against Oregon's defense. If WSU can do that, Arizona can do the same. If this game is a pure track meet and Arizona plays its best on offense, this could become an upset. Jayden de Laura does have the talent to put up a huge number and make Oregon sweat this one out.
Final Oregon-Arizona Prediction & Pick
Oregon wins outright, but Arizona is getting a lot of points at home and should be able to score enough to keep the game within a reasonable margin.
Final Oregon-Arizona Prediction & Pick: +13.5
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