The #14 Oregon Ducks (10-3) face off against the #16 Oklahoma Sooners (10-2) in a battle of top-25 teams in the Alamo Bowl. Oregon and Oklahoma will try and end their season’s on a winning note after closing out the regular season with losses. Both teams are playing the game without their head coaches, who bolted for other positions shortly after the season ended.
Wednesday’s kickoff is at 9:15 p.m. EST inside the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX. According to oddsmakers, Oklahoma is a 4.5-point favorite, and the over-under is at 60.5 points.
What to Know – Oregon Ducks
Oregon closed out the season, losing two of three contests, both to the Utah Utes. The Ducks won the Pac-12 North, and the highlight of their season came in Week 2 when Oregon went into the Horseshoe and upset the Ohio State Buckeyes, 35-28.
The Ducks average 31.4 points and 418.0 yards of offense per game, both numbers in the top half of the conference. Oregon’s defense allowed 25.5 points and 370.7 yards to opponents, both fifth-lowest in the Pac-12.
Anthony Brown threw for 2,683 yards and rushed for 637, accounting for 24 touchdowns during the regular season under center for the Ducks. Travis Dye led Oregon in rushing, carrying the ball 193 times for 1,118 yards and 15 touchdowns. Dye also was the team’s leader in passing receptions with 41.
Oregon had a 5-8 record against the spread during the regular season but 6-2 straight up over their last eight. In four of Oregon’s last five games against Big 12 opponents, the total has gone under.
What to Know – Oklahoma Sooners
The Sooners looked like they were headed to the CFP again until they went to Baylor and fell 27-14 and two weeks later lost to in-state rival Oklahoma State, 37-33. Head coach Lincoln Riley bolted for Southern Cal, and former starting quarterback Spencer Rattler headed to South Carolina.
Oklahoma pieced together another solid season offensively, scoring 38.4 points and averaging 441.6 yards of offense per game. The Sooners’ defense held teams to 25.3 points and 382.0 yards per game as they continued to improve under defensive coordinator Alex Grinch.
Freshman Caleb Williams took over the starting quarterback role midway through the season and wrapped up his rookie season with 1,670 yards passing and 18 touchdowns. Williams was second in rushing, adding 408 yards on the ground and six scores. Kennedy Brooks rushed for over 1,000 yards, rushing 184 times for 1,111 yards and ten touchdowns.
The Sooners were 5-6-1 ATS but 4-2 over their last six playing as the favorite. Oklahoma is 4-0 ATS over their previous four in neutral site games.
The Pick is In
The Alamo Bowl is an exciting matchup with both teams playing without their head coaches and a handful of players. Neither team ended the season how they would have hoped, so both will be looking to build some momentum as they head into the offseason under a new direction.
Even with improved defenses this year, these two teams can score quickly. Expect a few big plays in this one that lead to a high-scoring outcome.
Betting Pick: Oregon Ducks/Oklahoma Sooners OVER 60.5
