It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Purdue-Oregon State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Purdue-Oregon State.
The annual process of evaluating college football teams in September is tricky. Do we really know, based on two or three games, just how good a team is — or isn't? It's often hard to pin down the quality of a given team. Is it the competition? Is it the lack of rhythm at the start of a season? Is it the process of getting used to a new coach? Is it the weather? Is it the lack of a strong quarterback? All or none of the above? Fans, coaches, players, and betting analysts are trying to determine if a given set of data points is real or hollow, if it's just smoke and mirrors or if it contains real value as a window into the actual reality of a team. Some teams are bad in September and never get better. Other teams are bad in the first month of the season and then become markedly more competent in October and November. Purdue and Oregon State are right in the middle of this process, and we're all trying to figure out what's real and what's not with the Boilermakers and Beavers, who both got blown out last weekend.
Purdue getting crushed by Notre Dame had something to do with the Irish being a good team. Then again, Notre Dame lost to Northern Illinois, so just how bad is Purdue after allowing the Fighting Irish to destroy them so completely? Oregon State got thrashed by an Oregon team which is very talented but which struggled against its previous two opponents. Oregon State shut out San Diego State a few weeks ago, but San Diego State hasn't looked very good in the other games it has played so far this season, so the OSU shutout in San Diego might be more of a reflection of how bad the Aztecs are, not how good the Beavers are.
When Purdue and Oregon State play each other, two mediocre teams will test each other's weaknesses, and we will see which team's weakness holds up under pressure … and which team's weakness crumbles. This is a learning experience for fans, also for bettors, in Week 4.
Here are the Purdue-Oregon State College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Purdue-Oregon State Odds
Purdue: +5.5 (-115)
Moneyline: +158
Oregon State: -5.5 (-105)
Moneyline: -192
Over: 49.5 (-115)
Under: 49.5 (-105)
How to Watch Purdue vs Oregon State
Time: 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT
TV: CW Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Purdue Could Cover The Spread/Win
Oregon State got absolutely manhandled by Oregon last week. The Beavers aren't that good. They don't have a high ceiling. Purdue isn't great, but the Boilermakers can turn this game into a slugfest which is decided on a field goal in the final seconds. That would be enough to cover the spread.
Why Oregon State Could Cover The Spread/Win
The Beavers just have to win by a touchdown, that's it. They don't have to blow out Purdue. They just need to win by a touchdown. Given how hapless Purdue looked against Notre Dame, and given that Oregon State can shut down bad offenses such as San Diego State's, it's reasonable to think OSU can smother Purdue and win this game with a score of 13-6 or 16-10. Those scores would be enough to cover.
Final Purdue-Oregon State Prediction & Pick
We don't trust either team, but we do think defenses will dominate against offenses which don't appear to have a lot of quality. We're going with the under here, anticipating a 20-17 or 23-16 kind of game.
Final Purdue-Oregon State Prediction & Pick: Under 49.5