Oregon cruises in sports betting romp over Pac 10 rival UCLA

The sports betting nation will all get to take a look at the newly deemed #1 ranked Oregon Ducks when Chip Kelly’s squad hosts the UCLA Bruins on ESPN’s Thursday night telecast; kick-off is set for 9:00 ET from Autzen Stadium.

UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks
Game Date/Time: Thursday, October 21st, 9:00 ET
Game Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN 3D, Sirius, XM

NCAA Football Odds

UCLA Bruins (+25.5) -110
Oregon Ducks (-25.5) -110
Over/Under 60.5

The Oregon Ducks find themselves atop the college football mountain entering this Week 8 battle with the Pac 10 rival UCLA Bruins as the #1 ranked team in both human polls. It also sits in the #2 slot in the first installment of the BCS rankings. Pointless to have to say, but Oregon will be looking to show the rest of the country it’s worthy of those high rankings.

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Both squads enter this game off plenty of rest with both on byes last week. However, UCLA limps into this one with injuries littered throughout its roster on both sides of the ball. Most important however is the injury at the quarterback position with starter Kevin Prince listed as doubtful to lead the offense tonight. Instead, it will be up to Richard Brehaut to take over the reins of what’s proven to be a very hit or miss offensive unit against an overlooked Ducks defense.

Though the Quack Attack boasts one of the most electric offenses in the country, those partaking in sports betting for this contest must take note of the defense. It currently ranks 38th in the country allowing an average of just 338.5 YPG, but most important, it has allowed an average of just 16.3 PPG over the course of its first six games of the season.

It excels against defending the run (#37 at 126.5 YPG allowed) which just so happens to be the Bruins only offensive strength. Brehaut has thrown for just 189 yards and completed 50 percent of his passes with no TDs and a pick. He doesn’t have the arm nor accuracy to keep Oregon’s defense honest, so look for defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti to stack the box and dare the sophomore to beat his defense through the air. With UCLA boasting the nation’s 118th ranked passing attack, don’t expect to see it happen!

On the flipside, the Ducks will more than likely be able to do whatever they please offensively considering the Bruins just don’t stack up on that side of the ball. The squad has allowed an average of 369.8 YPG (#65), which includes a whopping 182.3 YPG on the ground (#92). Oregon just so happens to excel on the ground rushing for an average of 321.2 YPG, so the running lanes should be wide open for LaMichael James and company all night long.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: Last year’s battle between these squads was an interesting one to say the least. UCLA held the Ducks potent attack scoreless in the first half and took a 3-0 lead into the break. Kenjon Barmer returned the opening kick of the second half for a TD, and the rest as they say, was history. Oregon went on to outscore UCLA 24-7 to secure the 24-10 road win and cover as three-point sports betting favorites.
The victory was the Ducks second straight in the series, and they enter tonight’s battle winners in seven of the L/10 overall meetings (6-4 ATS). The highest pointspread during that stretch came back in 2008 with the Ducks favored by 19 points; they ultimately came nowhere close to covering the chalk winning 31-24.

Thursday night presents a completely different situation however with Oregon looking to unleash its wrath on an injury depleted conference opponent as the newly ranked #1 team in the land. With both #1’s falling outright in sports betting action each of the L/2 weeks, it goes without saying that the Bruins will have 100 percent of the Ducks undivided attention. Oregon is just too fast, deep, and athletic on both sides of the ball for UCLA to contend with in this spot. Look for the Ducks to move to 9-2 ATS their L/11 home games and 9-2 ATS their L/11 after a bye once they pummel the Bruins into the Autzen turf.

My NCAA Football Predictions: Oregon Ducks (-25.5) -110

No matter which side you plan on riding in this Pac 10 battle, let BetOnline Sportsbook be your home for the best football odds on the internet!