The Oregon Ducks will be fired up this week. After losing two in a row, the team will be looking to right the ship against the Washington State Cougars in Week 5 of the regular season. Oregon has fallen from one of the country’s elite programs and badly needs a win.
Washington State will be ready though. The Cougars are coming off a bye last week and although they’re only 1-2 so far this season and the slight underdog in this matchup, home field advantage will be helpful.
This contest in Week 5 of the regular season will go down Saturday, October 1, 2016, at 6:30 p.m. ET at Clarence D. Martin Stadium.
NCAA Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oregon -1.5
Washington State +1.5
Over/Under 75
Odds Analysis
It’s a sign of how far Oregon has fallen that the spread is this close. While the Cougars are decent, the Ducks of old would have been big favorites. However, the gamblers believe the correction has been too steep, as more than 71 percent of the money is coming in on Oregon to cover.
This is a game that could be incredible to watch, as even the scoring total of 75 seems too low. Both sides will put up points at will, and 75 percent of the money has chosen the “over.” It wouldn’t be a surprise if that increased as the game gets closer.
Player to Watch
Royce Freeman -- The Oregon running back is the latest in a long line of impressive skill players within the program. He has carried the ball 37 times for 325 yards and four touchdowns this season, but suffered a leg injury two weeks ago against Nebraska.
He missed the rest of that contest and then didn’t play last week in a loss to Colorado. Freeman ran for 1,365 yards in 2014 and 1,836 yards last year. He had 207 yards rushing and two scores in his last full game against Virginia and is an integral piece of the offense.
Check on his status as the game gets closer because his presence would be a boon for the Oregon attack.
Key stat
42. That’s the number of points each side is averaging this season. Oregon has long been known for its offense dating back to its Chip Kelly days, while Washington State has adopted the Air Raid style of Mike Leach.
Cougars quarterback Luke Falk is 117-of-158 for 1,124 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions on the season. Washington State has averaged 393 passing yards per contest, and while it hasn’t resulted in great team success, the Cougars should be able to be competitive because of that attack.
Oregon does most of its work on the ground behind Freeman, as it averages 275.8 yards per game rushing as a team. The Ducks like to go fast, trying to tire out their opponent.
It will be interesting which team has gas left in the tank in the fourth quarter, and which defense can hold tough and make some big plays.
Free ATS Pick
Washington State started the season 0-2 before finally capturing the team’s first win in blowout fashion in against Idaho. It will definitely be the memory of that 56-6 win in Week 3, and not that terrible Week 1 upset loss to Eastern Washington, the Cougars will be trying to keep fresh in their minds this week. The Cougars also lost to Boise State this season.
Oregon had a much different start to the season, going 2-0 against UC Davis and Virginia before the back-to-back losses to Nebraska and Colorado. The Ducks lost one of their top receivers in Devon Allen, who is out for the season, in the game against Nebraska.
This will be an interesting matchup, and while Oregon is struggling, it should do enough against a shaky Washington State defense to eventually pull away. The Ducks’ woes will be covered up for one night, at least.
NCAA Football Odds: Oregon 47, Washington State 42
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