The Oregon Ducks are set to face the Washington Huskies this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Oregon Washington prediction, odds, and pick.

The buildup to this game has been delicious. Earlier in the week, Washington head coach Jimmy Lake said Oregon wasn't a central recruiting rival, instead focusing on Stanford and Notre Dame. The statement might have been meant to throw shade at Oregon and fuel the fires of this bitter rivalry in the Pacific Northwest, but the claim doesn't even make sense. Oregon's rise in recruiting under coach Mario Cristobal has come partly at Washington's expense. The people who make college football odds know this. An Oregon-Washington pick should take note of this point. The Huskies have fallen in recruiting rankings in recent years, so Lake was not only unwise; he was also wrong.

Oregon President Michael Schill fired back at Lake's remarks, expressing his respect for previous UW coach Chris Petersen and omitting Lake in a not-so-veiled shot at the Huskies' head coach. Imagine that: Trash talk is flying, but not from any players. That's a plot twist, and it will liven up this meeting even though Washington is enduring a very difficult season, with Lake very much under fire (though unlikely to lose his job).

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the Oregon-Washington odds:

College Football odds: Oregon-Washington Odds

Oregon: -6.5 (-122)

Washington: +6.5 (+100)

Over: 51.5 (-104)

Under: 51.5 (-118)

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Why Oregon Could Cover the Spread

The Ducks aren't getting that much respect for a team which still has a chance to make the College Football Playoff. Oregon is facing a Washington team which lost to FCS school Montana earlier in the season. Washington is one of the worst passing teams in the country under struggling quarterback Dylan Morris. The Huskies scored their only touchdown of last week's ugly win over Stanford in the final half-minute of regulation. Oregon has Kayvon Thibodeaux and the rest of a fire-breathing defense ready to shut down the Huskies in one of Week 10's biggest defense-over-offense mismatches. It would be highly surprising if Washington scored as many as 20 points in this game. Keep that in mind when making an Oregon Washington prediction. 

Oregon's offense is not great, but it should have little problem scoring at least 24 points against a Washington rush defense which allowed lowly Arizona to run for over 220 yards a few weeks ago.

Why Washington Could Cover the Spread

The Oregon offense is inconsistent, and Duck quarterback Anthony Brown has shown he will make at least a few mistakes in most games. Oregon needed all 60 minutes to finally defeat a not-very-good California Golden Bear team at home. If Oregon can struggle with Cal at home, it can definitely struggle with Washington on the road, especially since Washington defeated Cal earlier this season.

Washington's offense isn't good, but its defense is. The return of UW's best defensive player, Zion Tupuola-Fetui (who came back to the lineup a few weeks ago and is finding his sea legs), gives Washington a real chance of shutting down the UO offense and turning this game into a 17-13-style fistfight in which just one big play or turnover can put the Huskies over the top.

Final Oregon-Washington Prediction & Pick

Oregon and Washington didn't play last year due to the pandemic. Oregon is an inconsistent team, but when the occasion is a big one, coach Mario Cristobal usually gets the Ducks to play at their best. Washington's terrible pass offense severely limits what the Huskies can achieve here. Oregon is a strong play against the spread. The under is worth considering, too.

Final Oregon-Washington Pick: Oregon -6.5, under 51.5