Ohio State and Oregon face off in a battle of two of the nation’s top teams. Here is how to bet the game on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Oregon (+3) vs. Ohio State o/u 53.5
One of the biggest games of the college football season takes place as #3 Oregon hosts #2 Ohio State. The winner of this game will be in the driver’s seat in the Big Ten with a spot in the conference championship game and a playoff berth all but guaranteed. The loser of this game will have some pressure on them to win out the rest of the season to ensure they get a playoff bid as well. These teams are in a similar boat—both have yet to play a great team so far this season—so this game will reveal a lot about both squads.
Oregon Team Breakdown
Oregon flirted with disaster to start the season but has looked better over their last three games. They won their first two conference games of the season by 21 points apiece against Michigan State and UCLA. Those two teams are towards the bottom of the conference, but they were good performances from the Ducks, nonetheless. Oregon has found a lot of success running the football with Jordan James but are still struggling in the passing game.
There was a hope that Dillon Gabriel would basically slip into the role that Bo Nix played in this offense last year—that just hasn’t been the case. Gabriel has had an issue turning the ball over and Oregon has not been able to generate the explosive passing plays they did last season. That is also due to some struggles at the wide receiver position outside of Tez Johnson. Oregon’s offense will really be tested against one of the nation’s best defenses on Saturday.
Ohio State Team Breakdown
Chip Kelly is a great offensive mind and has almost definitely been saving some plays and concepts for this game. Ohio State has rolled through their schedule with ease so far this season and has not needed to show much on offense. Last year against Dan Lanning’s defense, Kalen DeBoer was able to outwit Lanning, and that saw Washington beat Oregon twice in their two most pivotal games of the season. Kelly and Ryan Day will be scheming up an offense that can do the same to Lanning in this game.
Ohio State’s young WR Jeremiah Smith is emerging as a superstar even quicker than anyone could have expected. Along with Emeka Egbuka, they are one of the most dangerous WR duos in the country. They also have one of the most dangerous running back duos in the country in Treveyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. QB Will Howard is also really effective with his legs and that makes this offense so difficult to defend.
Pick and Prediction
There are still some unknowns around the ceilings of both of these teams because of the lack of competition they have faced this season. However, there is no doubt that Ohio State has had better performances so far this season. The Buckeyes have had stars emerge on offense and have been one of the most dominant defenses in the country. They rank 1st in the nation in net EPA/play, meaning they are the most balanced team in America so far this season.
Ohio State has also been incredibly efficient in the red zone so far this season. The Buckeyes are one of just a few teams in the nation that have scored on 100% of their red zone trips. On the other side, Oregon is 102nd in the nation in red zone scoring percentage. Dillon Gabriel has been making a lot of mistakes in the red zone and Oregon cannot afford to leave points on the board in that manner against Ohio State.
Ohio State might have the best defense in the entire country and if it’s not the best, it is certainly in the top five. Oregon has yet to prove they can be an offense on the same level as the 2023 Oregon team and this will be a much tougher test than any they have faced so far this season. Ohio State had no problem moving the ball on the ground or through the air against a very good Iowa defense, so they should be able to do the same against Oregon. If the Buckeyes jump out to an early lead, they might be able to run away this game by forcing Dillon Gabriel into obvious passing situations. I am rolling with Ohio State to win and cover this game.
Best Bet: Ohio State -3
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All odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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