A new week on the college football calendar brings a handful of more top-25 matchups, including a top-10 showdown.
Saturday is a big day around the Pac-12 as No. 8 Oregon is set to visit No. 7 Washington, No. 18 UCLA plays No. 15 Oregon State and No. 10 USC takes on No. 21 Notre Dame. The other big game going on this weekend is in the ACC, as No. 12 North Carolina hosts No. 25 Miami, which just suffered a heartbreaking defeat.
There’s also a pair of big SEC bouts on deck as Texas A&M travels to play No. 19 Tennessee and Missouri matches up with No. 24 Kentucky.
We’re focusing on the Oregon-Washington and North Carolina-Miami games this week.
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 7 Washington
Spread: Oregon +2.5 (-105) | Washington -2.5 (-120)
Moneyline: ORE (+120) | WASH (-150)
Total: 67.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-110)
Game Info: Saturday, Oct. 14 | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Location: Husky Stadium | Seattle, WAS
The Huskies upset the Ducks in Eugene last November, 37–34, as a 12-point underdog. Michael Penix Jr. outdueled Bo Nix as he finished with over 400 yards passing and a pair of touchdowns. Now, these two veteran quarterbacks are going head-to-head once again, this time as Heisman candidates leading two of the three highest-scoring offenses in the FBS.
Oregon (5–0, 2–0 Pac-12) averages the second-most points per game (51.6) after USC and second-most yards per game (557.8) behind Washington. The Ducks are also the only offense in the country that’s top 10 in both passing (330.6) and rushing yards (227.2) per game. Naturally, Nix is at the heart of that. He’s thrown at least two touchdowns in each game and has 15 touchdowns to just one interception on the season. Led by Bucky Irving and Jordan James, Oregon boasts the most efficient rushing offense in college football, gaining an average of 7.06 yards per carry.
So far this season, Washington (5–0, 2–0 Pac-12) has held up better defensively on the ground than through the air. The Huskies held their first three opponents to 36 total points but since conference play began they allowed 32 to Cal in a blowout and 24 to Arizona in a close one. UW is just outside the top 25 in points allowed (18.4) and is tied for the fifth-most interceptions (eight).
The Ducks are a top-10 defense in points (11.8) and yards (255.6) allowed. They’ve also been one of the best teams at getting to opposing quarterbacks with 18 sacks on the year. Penix, like Nix, has only been sacked three times in 2023.
Oregon will have to contend with the most prolific passer in the country in Penix. He has almost 2,000 yards, 16 touchdowns and just two interceptions and he leads the country in yards per attempt (11.2). His top target Rome Odunze has the fifth-most receiving yards in the country (608). The Huskies run at one of the lowest rates in college football, but Dillon Johnson gives them a respectable rushing offense when Penix isn’t passing.
The Ducks are one of a handful of teams that’s still perfect against the spread this season, but this is the first time they’ve been installed as underdogs. Oregon went 0–2 as an underdog under Dan Lanning last year and hasn’t covered in its last five underdog spots. Meanwhile, Washington has won nine in a row at Husky Stadium and is 6–3 ATS during that streak.
UW had the firepower to win a shootout last year on the road and that will be the case again this year at home.
Oregon vs. Washington Best Bet: Washington -2.5 (-120)
