NCAAF No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 Washington Side & Total Free Picks

Enjoy the Pac-12 while you can, and no better way than a Border War battle of unbeatens in Seattle. The No. 8 Oregon Ducks (5-0) visit the seventh-ranked Washington Huskies, also 5-0. Game time at Husky Stadium is 3:30 PM (ET) Saturday afternoon.

Both teams are 2-0 in conference play entering this game.

The teams rank second (Washington 46 points/game) and fourth Oregon (44.3 points/game), respectively, in scoring offense nationally.  

Oregon hasn’t exactly faced a difficult schedule to this point. Opening the season hanging 81 points on intrastate rival Portland St., it was the Ducks then winning at Texas Tech before home routs of Hawaii (55-10), Colorado (42-6) and Stanford (also 42-6).

Washington struggled in Tucson last week, surviving the Arizona Wildcats, 31-24. UW had a 28-10 lead early in the third quarter. That was the Huskies’ lone test to date, having slapped around Boise St., Tulsa, Michigan St. and California to begin the season.

It’s the homestanding Huskies as field goal favorites (total at 67½), according to college football odds.

Moneyline is Washington -155, Oregon at +135.

Washington has a 61-48-5 lead in the series, including a 37-34 win at Eugene last season.

Oregon has won 15 of the last 18.

Those D-fensive D-ucks 

As was mentioned, the Oregon Ducks can score with the best of ‘em. However, Oregon brings to town a solid defense as well, having surrendered just 269½ yards per game (seventh in nation).

Temper that with the level of competition, but it’s vastly improved after a nearly 400-yard per game average last season. 

Quarterback Bo Nix, a former Auburn Tiger, is in his second season with the Ducks. He has completed more than 80 percent of his passes (1,459 yards, 15 touchdowns, one interception) this season.

Seven Oregon players have reached double figures in receptions, led by Troy Franklin’s 32 (535 yards, seven touchdowns) 

Three of the backs (Bucky Irving, Jordan James, Noah Whittington) are averaging more than seven yards per rush.

Truly Offensive Huskies

The Washington Huskies have run roughshod over their opposition to date, leading the country with an average of  569.4 yards per game.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (1,999 passing yards, 16 touchdowns two interceptions) has any number of weapons, led by wideout Rome Odunze (32 receptions, 608 yards, four touchdowns). 

Running back Dillon Johnson (240 rush yards, four touchdowns) is averaging just under six yards per carry  

It’s the Huskies 

Washington is priced at 12-1 (+1200) to win the title, Oregon at 14-1 (+1400), as per college football championship odds.

Both teams can march the length of the field in a hurry, though the Ducks have been doing a better job in limiting opponents,

It’s not impossible that either side wins in Seattle, but Washington should get its usual boost playing at home, and that’s taken to be the difference,

Go with Washington -3 to prevail. and under, too. Bet these picks at BetUS.com