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The Oregon Ducks take on the Oregon State Beavers. Check out our college football odds series for our Oregon Oregon State prediction and pick.
The Oregon Ducks have shown how tough they are this season. They were banged up against the Utah Utes, the defending Pac-12 champions, one week ago. Quarterback Bo Nix was not even close to being 100-percent physically capable and healthy, but he played through pain. His teammates on defense picked him up. Oregon — which had been shredded by Washington the week before — regrouped on the defensive side of the ball and played its best defensive game of the year at just the right time. Oregon forced multiple turnovers from Utah quarterback Cam Rising and was able to scratch out a 20-17 win over the Utes. The Ducks were able to bounce back from the Washington loss and put themselves in position to make the Pac-12 Championship Game. If Oregon does win this game against Oregon State, it will go to Las Vegas next week to face the USC Trojans for the Pac-12 title.
The big question heading into this game is how healthy Bo Nix will be after gutting it out last week against Utah. Nix did not exacerbate any injury he previously had, so the Oregon camp is cautiously optimistic that Nix will be closer to full strength for this game. If that is true, it's big for Oregon, which needs the best version of Nix in order to have a great chance of beating elite opponents and elite defenses.
Oregon State's defense is really good. Defensive coordinator Trent Bray has been one of the best coordinators in the country this year. He has expertly led the Beavers' defense, which held USC to just 17 points earlier in the season and contained the Washington Huskies' offense as well (just 24 points in Seattle a few weeks ago). Oregon State has a defense worthy of the College Football Playoff. That is not an exaggeration. The problem for the Beavers is their offense, and more particularly, their quarterback situation. Chance Nolan was ineffective this season. He got hurt and was replaced by Ben Gulbranson, who has not been noticeably or substantially better. Oregon State desperately needs to solve its QB problem in 2023; otherwise, it will continue to fail to maximize its talent. The Beavers have so many good roster pieces in place, but quarterback is not one of them. Oregon will want to make Oregon State pay for having a deficient quarterback situation.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Oregon-Oregon State College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Oregon-Oregon State Odds
Oregon Ducks: -3.5 (-102)
Oregon State Beavers: +3.5 (-120)
Over: 58.5 (-110)
Under: 58.5 (-110)
Why Oregon Could Cover the Spread
The Ducks are a very good team, and they showed last week how resilient and resourceful they are. That win over Utah revealed a team which is ready to fight for a championship. This team won't be denied.
Why Oregon State Could Cover the Spread
The Beavers' defense can shut down a less-than-fully-healthy version of Bo Nix. A fully healthy Nix would probably make his fair share of big plays, but if he's well below 100 percent, Oregon State can do some damage on defense.
Final Oregon-Oregon State Prediction & Pick
The Nix health situation is something to monitor. You should stay away from this game unless or until you get a clear read on Nix's health and mobility. If you aren't absolutely sure but will insist on making a pick, lean to Oregon State.
Final Oregon-Oregon State Prediction & Pick: Oregon State +3.5
