Oregon Ducks vs. Washington State Cougars Betting Picks

The 1-0 Oregon Ducks will go on the road Saturday night to face off with the 1-0 Washington State Cougars at 7:00 PM ET in Clarence D. Martin Stadium. You can tune into the showdown on Fox. The Ducks come in as 10-point road favorites and we’re expecting plenty of points with a 58 over/under. While it is week 11 of the CFB season, these two teams have only played one game apiece and there is still a lot of unknown on both sides. Let’s dive into how this game will go down and who will end up covering the spread. Make sure to check out the rest of my NCAAF Picks and Predictions for this massive weekend slate of games.

• Oregon is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games.
• Washington State is 4-9 ATS in their last 13 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oregon’s last 9 games.
• The total has gone OVER in 5 of Washington State’s last 7 games.

The Ducks opened their season up with a commanding 35-14 victory over the Stanford Cardinal. It felt like they were in control from the jump, but it wasn’t until the third quarter until they really pulled away. It was a balanced attack offensively, rushing for more yards than they passed for. The defense stepped up and won the turnover battle 2-0, putting the finishing touches on opening night. They covered the 12-point spread with ease and will face a similar number on the road this week.

With Justin Herbert showing off in the NFL, the Ducks have moved to sophomore Tyler Shough. He has all the makeup to be a star and was a four-star recruit just two seasons ago. He threw for 227 yards and a score on top of 85 rushing yards and another score. His versatility gives Oregon an interesting dynamic and defenses will take a few games to figure them out. 

This offense still runs through the backfield and junior C.J. Verdell is one of the best in the country. He’s coming off a season in which he ran for 1,175 yards and has 18 career touchdowns coming into this year. Verdell rushed it 20 times in the opener for 105 yards and a score on top of two catches for another 30 yards. Travis Dye is an excellent backup and he put up 78 yards and a touchdown on just six carries. Dye is arguably the best number two back in the country. 

Johnny Johnson III and Jaylon Redd hold down the receiving core and their experience will helps this offense a ton with a brand new quarterback and offensive line. Tight end DJ Johnson caught five balls in the opener and was targeted seven total times, turning in 55 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Mycah Pittman only caught one ball in the opener, but he has a ton of upside, so don’t be surprised if this is the game he breaks out in.  

The Cougars opened their season up with a 38-28 win over the Oregon State Beavers in a game they never trailed. The Cougars went through an overhaul this offseason and are looking at new coaching staff along with an entirely new offense. With that being said, first-time head coach Nick Rolovich had his squad looking smooth in the first game of the year and they’ll get an even tougher test the second time around against the Oregon Ducks.

Freshman QB Jayden de Laura was better than expected in his first career start, tossing it for 227 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. He was effective on the ground as well, rushing it for 43 yards and a score. He’s joined in the backfield by senior Deon McIntosh, who’s been a backup for the past two seasons to Max Borghi (injured). He ran it for 147 yards and a touchdown in the opener and they will continue to lean on the running game with a freshman under center.

When de Laura does drop back, he has some talented weapons to help him acclimate to college football. Travell Harris was his favorite target in week one and he reeled in seven balls for 107 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran the ball twice, including a 44-yard TD run. Renard Bell is a beast from the slot and he caught six balls for 60 yards a week ago. Calvin Jackson and Jamire Calvin start on the outside and both have immense upside as they gain chemistry with the youngster quarterback.

The Cougars must get to the QB as they did in week one when they sacked the Beavers four times and were constantly in the backfield. The Ducks have a brand new offensive line and it might be the one spot to take advantage of them. Ron Stone Jr. and George Hicks are the two best talents on the defensive side and they must show up in a big way. The Cougars pulled off an upset a week ago and will have to do the same in week two.

The Cougars were impressive against Oregon State in the opener, but I’m not sure they belong in the same discussion as the Oregon Ducks. They have the most complete team in the conference and it looks like they’re improved recruiting has paid off. While a lot of the team is starting for the first time, it looked to be a seamless transition. Tyler Shough and C.J. Verdell had strong chemistry and Shough did a great job of taking care of the ball when it mattered. The Washington State Cougars defense is suspect at best and I don’t trust their offense to produce with Borghi out of the mix. I expect the Ducks to pull off an easy win in this one and I would like them up to two touchdowns.

The Oregon offense is going to put up numbers against Washington State. They have one of the worst defenses in the conference and I project Oregon to put up around 40 or so points. That leaves us with Washington State needing 20 and they will get there. Give me the over, though I would much rather bet Oregon ATS.