With Week 7 college football action featuring several big-time matchups between ranked opponents, one game that everybody should have circled on their calendar for Saturday is No. 7 Washington vs. No. 17 Oregon. The Huskies and Ducks are both in the hunt in the Pac-12 North and a win would be astronomical for both programs. Washington travels to Autzen Stadium and is currently a 3.5-point favorite with the total set at 59.5 in the latest Washington vs. Oregon odds. However, before you make any Washington vs. Oregon picks, you'll want to hear what SportsLine data scientist Stephen Oh's computer model is saying about this huge game.
Oh is crushing college football in 2018 and heads into this week on an 8-4 run with his point-spread selections. Moreover, he has had a keen eye for the tendencies of Oregon, as he boasts a perfect 4-0 mark against the spread in games involving the Ducks. Now, he's locked in a play for Saturday that he's only sharing at SportsLine.
Oregon has been offensively prolific this year, averaging 45.6 points per game on the season and averaging over 500 yards per game of offense for Mario Cristobal. Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has been a big part of that offensive productivity, throwing for 15 touchdowns against just five interceptions on the season.
Herbert's go-to target in the passing game has been Oregon wide receiver Dillon Mitchell. The junior emerged as a star with 14 catches for 239 yards in the loss to Stanford and followed that performance up with seven catches for 105 yards and a score in the win over Cal. Expect Washington to have their hands full with Herbert and Mitchell on Saturday afternoon.
Just because the Ducks have been rolling doesn't mean they'll stay within the spread on Saturday.
Washington will be highly motivated since it's still in control of its own destiny in the Pac-12 North and in the conference as a whole. The resume lacks a signature victory at the moment thanks to a neutral-site loss to Auburn, but a win on the road against Oregon would bolster the Huskies' College Football Playoff chances.
Oh and the SportsLine projection model expect a big day out of Washington running back Myles Gaskin with nearly 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. The model also expects Washington's defense to force several turnovers.
We can tell you Oh is leaning toward the Under, but his much stronger play is on the side. He has crunched the numbers and discovered a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-play.
Who covers Washington-Oregon? And what crucial X-factor causes one side of the spread to hit hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side you need to jump all over Saturday, all from a data scientist who's 4-0 on his picks involving Oregon.