Oregon vs Colorado NCAA Football Odds
The No. 2 Oregon Ducks are set to hit the road for the first time since Week 2 when they take on the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Their last opponent away from Autzen Stadium was Virginia when they took down the Cavaliers 59-10. If Colorado wants to avoid a similar fate, it better bring its A Game.
No. 2 Oregon (4-0, 1-0 Pac-12) @ Colorado (2-1, 0-1 Pac-12)
Saturday, Oct. 5 6:00 PM ET @ Folsom Field
Moneyline: N/A
Spread: Oregon -38.5
O/U: 69.5
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Oregon
Oregon hasn’t let up on its opponents yet, as its winning by an average point margin of 49 points per contest.
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The Oregon Ducks are the No. 1 rushing team in the country entering this contest, and as a result, they’re averaging 59.8 points per game—the second-most in the nation. The problem is that they’re going to be without Heisman hopeful De’Anthony Thomas because of an injured ankle.
The good news for Oregon is that it showed last week it can do some serious damage without Thomas on the field. The star running back went down on the opening kickoff against the California Golden Bears, yet the team managed to win 55-16, racking up 264 yards on the ground.
Against Colorado, look for Marcus Mariota to be the star of the show. Backup tailbacks Byron Marshall and Thomas Tyner will have plenty of opportunities to shine, but Mariota has proven he’s one of the biggest dual-threats in the country. He has 1000 yards and nine touchdowns through the air (with zero interceptions) and nearly 300 yards with five touchdowns on the ground.
Defensively, Oregon must prepare to defend the pass. Colorado is a one-trick pony on offense, as it is 25th in the nation in passing yards per game and just 103rd in rushing.[soliloquy id=”82219″]
Colorado
The bad news for Colorado is that its defense is already giving up 31.7 points per game. Oregon is going to score its points, which means the offense must find a way to balance its attack and score on a regular basis.
Expect the Ducks to blitz the Buffaloes in this one. We saw Colorado throw two interceptions last week against the Oregon State Beavers, and as a result, the team from Boulder lost 44-17. Connor Wood has to be ready to throw the ball quickly, and Paul Richardson—his No. 1 target—must be ready against Oregon’s stacked secondary.
Defensively, The Buffaloes must do the same. Getting pressure on Mariota is the only way to beat him. He’s beyond difficult to tackle in the backfield, so getting pressure up front is going to be key.
When it comes down to it, the Ducks can only beat themselves in this one. Mental mistakes on the road can be disastrous in this type of contest, and that’s what Oregon must look to avoid in Week 6.
The big question is whether or not the Ducks can cover the mammoth-sized spread they’ve been given entering this contest. Luckily for Oregon, there’s no reason to doubt it at this point in the process.
The Ducks have started off the year in historic fashion, scoring at least 55 points in its first four contests. Some will point to the absence of De’Anthony Thomas as a concern against the spread—I say, not so fast.
The Ducks were 36-point favorites against the Golden Bears last week, and sure enough, they won by 39 without their second-best player. They’re 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games vs. a team with a winning record, and you shouldn’t expect that streak to end this week.
Score Prediction: Oregon 58 – Colorado 13
