A matchup between two schools that are nationally ranked in the Top 25, the No. 25 Cougars (-2) are gearing up to welcome the No. 12 Oregon Ducks to Washington State. FOX is scheduled to broadcast the action and this pivotal Pac-12 matchup kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Oregon Ducks at Washington State Cougars
In this Saturday Pac-12 game, Washington State is tabbed as the favorite and is currently giving up 2 points. The Ducks are also receiving +100 moneyline odds while the Cougars are -120. If one side can create a bunch of points early it would create a worthwhile betting opportunity in-game. Vegas has set the over/under (O/U) at 66 points.
This game’s line opened at -2, while the over/under hasn’t moved since it opened at 66.
Both of these teams have rewarded gamblers this year as the Ducks have gained 1.6 units while the Cougars are up 2.0 units.
The Ducks have gone 5-1 straight up (SU), including 2-1 SU against conference opponents. The Cougars are 5-1 SU overall and 2-1 SU in conference play.
These two schools faced off a year ago with the final outcome being a 33-10 victory for Washington State.
Each team comes into this matchup on a two-game unbeaten streak. The Ducks are coming off a 30-27 win over Washington last weekTheir defense allowed the Huskies to rush for 194 yards on 45 attempts, including two rush TDs. Drew Sample had a productive day for the Huskies in that one with 79 yards on four catches. On the offensive side of the ball, Justin Herbert completed only 18-of-32 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns. CJ Verdell (111 rushing yards on 29 attempts, two TDs) and Travis Dye (67 yards on 15 carries) led the ground attack while Dillon Mitchell (eight receptions, 119 yards, one TD) and Jaylon Redd (three catches, 33 yards, one TD) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Washington State is coming off of a 56-37 win over Oregon State a couple of weeks ago. The defense allowed the Beavers to rush for 277 yards on 48 attempts, including five rush TDs. Jermar Jefferson had a productive outing in the loss, posting 138 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 24 attempts for Oregon State. For Washington State, Gardner Minshew II completed 30-of-40 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns. James Williams (56 yards on 10 rush attempts) mounted the running game while Davontavean Martin (eight receptions, 119 yards, two TDs) and Easop Winston Jr. (seven catches, 99 yards) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Oregon’s run the ball on 61.0 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Washington State has a rush percentage of 28.0 percent. The Ducks have rushed for 209.5 yards/game (including 205.0 per game versus Pac-12 opponents) and have 16 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Cougars are averaging 71.8 rushing yards per game (63.7 in conference) and have 12 total rush TDs.
Judging by the numbers so far, it appears that the Ducks might hold an advantage in terms of efficiency in the ground game. Their running backs has generated 4.5 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 3.2 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Cougars have tallied 3.4 yards per carry and given up 3.9 YPC to opponents.
The Ducks offensive scheme has averaged 273.3 yards in the air overall (257.7 per game against conference opposition) and has 17 passing scores so far. The Cougars have produced a ridiculous 413.7 pass yards per outing (406 against Pac-12 foes) and have 20 total pass TDs.
Oregon has let opponents rush for an average of 122.8 yards and throw for 239.0 yards per game. The Washington State D has given up 163.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 147.2 yards per game to opposing runners. The Cougars are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 4.17 to opponents, while the Ducks have allowed a 5.91 ANY/A.
Passing-wise, Herbert is up to 1,388 yards this year. He’s completed 90-of-146 attempts with 15 passing scores and five interceptions. He’s got a pristine 9.16 adjusted net yards per pass attempt.
In the hosts’ locker room, Gardner Minshew II has completed 184-of-257 passes for 1,977 yards, 16 TDs and three INTs. Minshew II’s ANY/A stands at 8.27 for the season and 9.91 over his last two games.
Oregon Ducks vs. Washington State Cougars NCAA Pick
SU Winner: Washington State, ATS Winner: Washington State, O/U: Over
Team Betting Trends
- The Washington State defense has tallied 18 sacks on the year while Oregon has 17.
- The Washington State offense has lost two fumbles in 2018 while Oregon has let five get away.
- The Ducks offense has registered six pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Cougars have accounted for four such plays.
- The Oregon defense has allowed eight pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Washington State has given up six such plays.
- The Oregon offense has created eight rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Washington State has created one such runs.
- The Ducks defense has allowed six rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Cougars have given up 11 such runs.
- The O/U for Washington State’s previous matchup going into it was 65. The over cashed in that 56-37 win over Oregon State.
- In its last three contests, Washington State is 3-0 ATS and the over cashed in each of those three.
- Over its last three matchups, Oregon is 2-1 ATS and the over cashed in two of those three.
- The O/U for Oregon’s last game was set at 58.5. The under cashed in the team’s 30-27 win over Washington.
- Oregon, as a team, has produced 4.4 yards per carry over its past three contests and 4.8 over its last two.
- Washington State has averaged 3.2 yards per carry over its last three games and 2.9 over its last two.
