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The biggest game on the board Friday night pits a still rebuilding Cal Golden Bears team at Autzen Stadium to face the No. 9 Oregon Ducks live on ESPN at 10:30 p.m. ET.
We take a look at the current odds and how the wagering proletariat are diving into tonight’s contest.
Point Spread
Right now Oregon is a 13.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook, with 84% of the handle and 85% of the bets backing the Ducks.
Is the public right?
Cal is 81st overall in SP+, and Oregon is 31st. With home field advantage, being under two touchdowns does sound pretty appetizing. But keep in mind defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux will only play the second half thanks to a targeting penalty against Stanford. Of course All-American candidate CJ Verdell and safety Bennett Williams are now out for the season with lower body injuries as well.
Throw in some bye week rust, and this could be clunky for the first 30 minutes.
Point Total
For this game the total is set at 54, with 57% of the cash and 76% of the tickets backing the over at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Is the public right?
These teams might struggle to score. UO needs to adjust to their offense without Verdell, and Cal managed just six points against a terrible Wazzu two weeks ago after losing 31-24 to Washington the week before. We’ll stay away here, but don’t be surprised if some sharp money gets this to 53.5 or less before kickoff.
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