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No. 2 Oregon seeks payback Thursday vs. Arizona
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Published: 10/2/2014  at  4:16:00 AM
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ARIZONA WILDCATS (4-0)
at OREGON DUCKS (4-0)

Kickoff: Thursday 10:30 p.m. ET
Line: Oregon -23, Total: 70

No. 2 Oregon will look for some revenge on Thursday night when it hosts undefeated Arizona in Eugene.

Here is the BetDSI Sportsbook betting preview for this matchup:

Last season, these two teams met in Tucson, with the Wildcats dominating the Ducks in a 42-16 victory. The 26-point defeat was the worst loss that an Oregon team had suffered since a 44-10 loss at USC in 2008. Arizona (1-3 ATS) was outgained its opponent that day (506 to 482), but dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 304 yards while having the ball for 35:29. The best way to slow down the Ducks offense is to keep it off the field, and the Wildcats will try to do that again. Arizona is coming off a thrilling victory against California, winning the game on a last second Hail Mary. However, the team has not done well the past three seasons coming off a big win, going 1-8 after two or more consecutive straight-up wins. Arizona has not defeated a ranked team on the road since a victory against USC in 2009, and lost 49-0 the last time it visited Eugene. The Ducks (1-3 ATS) had a week off after a much-tougher-than-expected victory against Washington State. That bye could play a big role in this game, as college football favorites of 21.5 to 31.5 points off a bye week are 51-17 ATS (75%) in the past 10 seasons. Oregon QB Marcus Mariota is one of the best players in the nation, but in the game last season, he threw two of his the interceptions he recorded on the season in that defeat. The only significant injury in this matchup is Oregon OL Jake Fisher (knee), who is considered questionable.

Will the Ducks fly past their conference rival on Thursday night? For the answer, connect to College Football Best Bets for all the StatFox Experts picks throughout the 2014 regular season and bowl season. The experts went a combined 19-17 ATS (53%) in the past two weeks, highlighted by StatFox Scott's 5-2 ATS mark and StatFox Gary's 4-3 ATS record.

In the victory against Cal, the Wildcats scored 36 points in the final quarter to complete an incredible comeback. QB Anu Solomon (1,454 pass yards, 13 TD; 167 rush yards) had a huge game against the Bears, throwing for 520 yards. The freshman from Las Vegas has done a nice job of not turning the ball over this year, throwing only three interceptions. He is a big reason his team ranks in the Top 30 in the nation in passing (366 YPG, 8th), scoring (42.0 PPG, 16th) and 29th in rushing (228 YPG), making the offense very difficult to slow down. RB Nick Wilson (77 carries, 482 rush yards, 4 TD) explodes from the backfield, and is the perfect complement to the strong passing attack. The Wildcats have two wide receivers, Cayleb Jones (29 catches, 475 yards, 6 TD) and Austin Hill (15 catches, 263 yards, 3 TD) that are capable of stretching the defense. In the win against California, Jones had 13 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns. Hill, on the other hand, caught the Hail Mary. The Ducks have a star in the secondary in Ife Ekpre-Olomu, but he will be able to cover only one of those guys, and does not have the height to battle for the ball the pair of 6-foot-3 receivers. However, the offense should be able to score, but if the Wildcats are going to get the upset win, the defense will have to come to play. Linebacker Scooby Wright III (51 tackles, 7 TFL and 4 sacks) is the leader on a defense allowing a subpar 27.3 PPG (77th in the country). Senior safety Jared Tevis (37 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 INT) is a talented player that will play a huge role in this game. He will have to make sure the Ducks do not get behind him, while also having to help stop the run.

The Ducks have been one of the top offenses in the country the past few seasons, and this season is no different. Oregon enters this game ranked 4th in scoring (48.5 PPG), 16th in passing (330.3 YPG) and 33rd in rushing (225.3 YPG). There are so many players on this team that can make the can make the big play, but none of them do it better than QB Marcus Mariota (1,135 pass yards, 11.8 YPA, 13 TD, 0 INT) is as effective of a quarterback as there is in the country. He can provide the team with a big play at any given moment, but he also does not take the big risks that can hurt the team. Mariota has also gained 214 rushing yards and three touchdowns. However, his first instinct is not to run the ball, knowing he has teammates that can dominate the game from that position. RB Royce Freeman (48 carries, 261 yards, 5 TD) is the workhorse back of the group, averaging 5.5 yards per carry. When the team is in third-and-short, this is the guy they are looking to. However, if they are seeking a long gainer, RB Byron Marshall (21 carries, 201 yards, 1 TD) is the man. Like the ground game, the Ducks rely on multiple players to catch passes from Mariota. WR Devon Allen (14 rec, 299 yards, 5 TD) has emerged as the top target for Mariota when he is attacking down the field. Marshall (235 rec. yards, 2 TD) and WR Keanon Lowe (13 rec, 221 yards, 3 TD) are also two guys that defenses have to focus on. Like the Wildcats, the offense is the strength of the Oregon team, but will need a huge performance from the defense to cover the hefty spread in this game. The defense enters the game ranked 42nd in the nation in points allowed (21.3 PPG). However, that unit allowed Washington State to throw for 436 yards on them two weeks ago. Safety Reggie Daniels (28 tackles) is the leading tackler on this team, but he will be tested a lot. CB Ifo Ekpre-Olomu (10 tackles) is one of the superior cover corners in the country, but he will have to remain disciplined for his team to get the sizable victory. DB Erick Dargan has three interceptions on the season, and he will also be counted upon to help slow down the Wildcats offense.


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