Oregon risks dipping below .500 at WSU
The Pac-12 portion of Oregon’s schedule couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start. Will Mark Helfrich’s troops rebound against another disappointing conference foe?
This evening, the Ducks meet Washington State at 9:30 p.m. ET. Online sports book BetDSI lists them as 2-point favorites heading into Pullman. The over/under is 75.5.
Last weekend’s 41-38 loss to Colorado puts the Eugene crew at a surprising 2-2 through the first four contests. Utterly abysmal defensive play represents one of the biggest problems so far. Oregon has already surrendered 300-plus passing yards twice – and one of those occasions came against UC Davis.
For the Cougars’ part, they’re trying to build a respectable D behind a host of fresh faces. Said youth could be a problem vs. the Ducks’ fast-and-furious offensive attack. Royce Freeman needs just 98 yards to pass Kenjon Barner for second place on the school’s all-time rushing list. Top-flight reserves also chip in with regularity, giving Oregon a ground-heavy nucleus that averages 275.75 yards per tilt.
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The question becomes whether quarterback Dakota Prukop can shake off the interception that ended his team’s bid to upend the Buffaloes. Prukop’s yet to throw for a first-quarter touchdown and, irrespective of the Ducks’ ability to post points at a tremendous clip, such weak efforts out of the gate continue to prevent them from truly taking flight. The road setting also convinces us that we’ll see fewer points than usual.
SATURDAY NCAA FREE PICK: OREGON/WASHINGTON STATE UNDER 75.5 POINTS