1 week Ago
Oregon and Wisconsin will face off in a Big Ten football showdown at Camp Randall Stadium later today. As always, it’s time to make some picks. Coming off a shaky win over Maryland, the No.
1 Ducks remain unbeaten and among the nation’s hottest teams as they travel to take on the Badgers. As a result, Oregon is currently listed as a 13.5-point favorite by most sportsbooks on Saturday.
That said, here’s a look at our best bets for Saturday’s Big Ten battle: Oregon (-13.5) Since the betting line for this matchup was released earlier this week, it's shifted from 15 to 13.5 points, signaling that bettors have been favoring the Badgers as Saturday's game approaches .
As a result, we believe the number is too small for an Oregon team that has won by more than 13 in each of its last four games. Anytime the Ducks are favored by less than two-touchdowns against a middling Big Ten team, we see value. While Oregon will likely be facing one of its toughest road tests on Saturday, we expect the Ducks to control the game from start to finish against a Wisconsin team that lost 42-10 to Iowa last week.
If the Hawkeyes can score 42 on the Badgers, so can the Ducks. Meanwhile, the Oregon defense hasn't allowed more than 18 points to a team not named Ohio State or Boise State this fall. While Saturday's matchup may have the makeup of a "trap game" for the Ducks, we believe they'll handle business.
Evan Stewart OVER 60.5 Receiving Yards With Tez Johnson likely out another week, Oregon will need its other explosive pass-catchers to continue to fill-in effectively. © Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Against the Badgers, we expect offensive coordinator Will Stein to open up the Ducks' playbook and include some longer passing plays like he did against Ohio State, which bodes well for Stewart.
The Badgers possess a talented secondary, but so do the Buckeyes, and Oregon has shown its desire to truly test talent in the past. We expect more of the same on Saturday, as the Ducks bring a level of explosiveness to the table that Wisconsin likely hasn't seen this year. All Stewart needs is one long-bomb, and this number is practically covered.
With Johnson out on Saturday, we expect the Texas A&M transfer to carry a large enough load..
