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It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with an SF Austin-Oregon prediction and pick. Find out how to watch SF Austin-Oregon.
After Saturday gave us some big-stage college hoops showdowns, Sunday gives us some buy games, such as this one in Eugene. Oregon is smarting after a homecourt loss to UCLA, its first loss of the season. The Ducks allowed UCLA to make 12 of 23 3-pointers, which is just not acceptable. Oregon didn't lose by shooting terribly; it made over 47 percent of its field goal attempts. The defense simply wasn't good enough. UCLA scored 40 second-half points on the road in Eugene. Oregon knows it simply has to be a lot better at the defensive end.
The Ducks have had a good season, but the UCLA game was a “step in the pothole” moment. One thing Oregon has to be honest about is that even in a number of the games it won this season, it did not play well for the first 30 minutes and needed to scramble late to win. This happened against Portland. It happened against Texas A&M. It happened against Oregon State. It happened against USC. Oregon needs to get on top of games and play complete 40-minute games from start to finish. Not being steadier and more responsible did catch up with the Ducks against UCLA, and that's a bad habit head coach Dana Altman has to weed out as the season continues. This game against Stephen F Austin gives Oregon a chance to manage a game properly, establish the upper hand, and not let go. Let's see if the Ducks are up to the challenge as they get in a tune-up for the heart of the Big Ten Conference season, which is right around the corner.
Here are the SF Austin-Oregon College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: SF Austin-Oregon Odds
SF Austin: +21.5 (-118)
Moneyline: +2000
Oregon : -21.5 (-104)
Moneyline: -7000
Over: 134.5 (-114)
Under: 134.5 (-106)
How to Watch SF Austin vs Oregon
Time: 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT
Article Continues Below
TV: Big Ten Network
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Why SF Austin Will Cover The Spread/Win
The spread is huge. Many people will say that Oregon should be favored by roughly 20 points over SFA, and that might narrowly be true. However, when we look at Oregon's season and document the many times the Ducks have played with their food for good portions of a contest, Oregon's overall performance does not warrant betting on UO versus the spread. The Ducks have consistently won games, but they haven't consistently covered spreads. In a number of the games we referenced above, such as Oregon State and Portland, Oregon did not cover the spread.
It's true that a team's job is to win the game outright. Only bettors are concerned with whether a team covers a point spread. Yet, that's what this discussion is about. Oregon is a good team which has lost only one game this season, but spread betting with the Ducks has been a very different story. Oregon has to prove it can play a complete 40 minutes, dominating the whole way, before you trust the Ducks with a spread bet. As long as there are 10 to 15 minutes in which UO plays poorly, that means Stephen F Austin can gain points on the scoreboard, which would mean Oregon might have to outscore SFA by 35 points in 25 game minutes to overcome those bad 15 minutes.
Why Oregon Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Ducks are mad after blowing it against UCLA a week ago. You're going to see this team come out focused, hungry, and ready to prove a point against a vastly inferior team. Oregon wins by 25.
Final SF Austin-Oregon Prediction & Pick
The lean is to Oregon, but we don't trust the Ducks at all here. Pass.
Final SF Austin-Oregon Prediction & Pick: Oregon -21.5
