The biggest college football matchup of the week will pit the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes against the No. 3 Oregon Ducks at Autzen Stadium in Oregon, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET this Saturday and NBC on the broadcast.
Ohio State is a 3.5-point favorite on the spread in college football Week 7 odds after this game initially opened with the Buckeyes as very short underdogs. Oregon is getting +130 odds on the moneyline, and the over/under line is at 53.5 total points.
The Buckeyes are the current favorites to win the College Football Playoff championship with +350 odds, and Oregon isn’t far behind at +1000, the fifth-shortest in the nation. The winner of this game could have an inside track toward a top seed in the CFP.
Oregon started slow, and quarterback Dillon Gabriel quickly dropped from the preseason favorite in Heisman Trophy odds to the middle of the board. The Ducks have won their last three games by an average of 26 points, and Gabriel is completing 78% of his passes in that span, but he also has three interceptions.
We’ll go over more about this matchup below, including how it could play out for both teams and the odds at college football betting sites. We also cover an Ohio sportsbook promo before the game.
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Ohio State favored at Oregon in showdown of top-ranked teams
How Ohio State could win and cover the spread
Ohio State might have the best defense in the nation, and Oregon hasn’t faced that type of challenge yet this season. The Buckeyes are allowing a measly 6.8 points per game and 3.5 yards per play, both tops in the FBS. They are generating pressure at an elite rate, with sacks on 12.5% of opponent drop backs and are forcing 1.8 takeaways per game.
Gabriel appears to still be learning the ropes in this Oregon offense after transferring from Oklahoma. He’s thrown three red zone picks against Big Ten competition and has only completed 68.4% of his passes in conference games. The Buckeyes’ offense is unlikely to have much trouble putting points on the board against Oregon’s defense, but the other side of the ball is a big question mark that depends largely on Gabriel’s performance.
How Oregon could cover the spread and win
Gabriel does have an advantage in terms of his mobility, which could help him keep the Buckeyes’ ferocious front seven off balance. Last season with Oklahoma, he led the Sooners to a 34-30 win over a Texas program that was ranked No. 3 in the nation, and he also kept his team close in a 27-24 loss at Oklahoma State. Because Gabriel and Oregon struggled early this season, they have more recent experience in close games than the Buckeyes.
Oregon’s up-tempo offense is tough to simulate in practice, so the Ohio defense could struggle to adjust at first. Oregon’s running game has improved in recent weeks, with Jordan James averaging 134 rushing yards over his last two outings, and a strong rushing attack would help offset Ohio State’s pass rush. The Ducks are 4-1-1 against the spread when facing ranked opponents since last season.