Oregon vs. Oregon State Betting Odds – Civil War Rivalry

Carrie Stroup here with your Oregon vs. Oregon State betting odds and this 2014 Civil War rivalry.  Place your 1^st bet here, get your 2^nd bet FREE.

OREGON DUCKS (10-1) at OREGON STATE BEAVERS (5-6)

Sportsbook.ag Line & Total: Oregon -20, Total: 67.5

Opening Line & Total: -19.5, Total 67

No. 2 Oregon looks to finish the regular season off with a seventh straight victory when it visits in-state rival Oregon State.

Known as the Civil War, the matchup between the Ducks and Beavers usually provides fans with some entertaining football. Last season, 24-point favorite Oregon found itself in a tough battle against the Beavers, winning the game 36-35 in Eugene. QB Marcus Mariota had a big performance with 338 yards of total offense and three touchdowns. The Ducks have not lost to Oregon State since 2007, when they fell 38-31, and are 6-0 SU and 4-2 ATS in this series with at least 37 points in each contest since then.

The defense of Oregon has been opportunistic, and when the Ducks force at least two turnovers, they are 10-2 ATS the past two seasons. But even though OSU has lost five of its past six games (SU and ATS), it has turned the ball over just six times in those half-dozen contests. The Beavers are still playing for an opportunity to get into a bowl, and are 72-50 ATS (59%) after the first month of the season under head coach Mike Riley.

Both teams have some injury concerns for this matchup, as Oregon lists four players as questionable -- RB Thomas Tyner (ankle), DL Alex Balducci (leg) and OLs Hroniss Grasu (leg) and Matt Pierson (knee). Oregon State will not have DT Brandon Bennett-Jackson (suspension), but RB Storm Woods (undisclosed) has been upgraded to probable for Saturday.

The Oregon offense ranks 3^rd in the nation in scoring (45.8 PPG), 14^th in passing (302.1 YPG) and 23^rd in rushing (235.3 YPG), once again proving to be one of the elite units in the country. It all starts with QB Marcus Mariota (3,103 pass yards, 597 rush yards, 41 total TD), who has 10.0 yards per pass attempt and only two interceptions in 309 throws.

The ground game of the Ducks is once again dominating, but they are doing it a different way. RB Royce Freeman (187 carries, 1,050 yards, 16 TD) is a much bigger back than the Ducks have used in the past, and his skill and size has completely changed the offense.

WR Byron Marshall (660 rec yards, 318 rush yards, 5 total TD) has become the favorite target of Mariota. The deep threat in the passing game is WR Devon Allen (34 catches, 613 rec yards, 6 TD), who is a track star with the ability to get behind the defense.

On defense, the Ducks are led by senior DB Erick Dargan (5 INT, 77 tackles, 2.5 TFL), who has emerged as one of the top defenders in the Pac-12. The defense ranks 42^nd in the nation in scoring (23.6 PPG), but has allowed only 17.6 PPG in the past three games. LBs Joe Walker (67 tackles, 7 TFL and a 100-yard fumble return) and Derrick Malone (66 tackles, 2.5 TFL) are two players who have continued to improve throughout the season.

Oregon State has had a tough season on offense, ranking 25^th in FBS passing (280.8 YPG), but only 84^th in scoring (26.3 PPG) and 114^th in rushing (115.5 YPG). QB Sean Mannion (3,021 pass yards, 14 TD, 8 INT) has thrown for more career yards (13,438) than any quarterback in the history of the Pac-12, but has had a very difficult season. He has battled through some injuries this year, and his completion percentage is the lowest of his career.

Another reason why the passing game has struggled is because of a lack production from the rushing game. RBs Terron Ward (133 carries, 696 yards, 10 TD) and Storm Woods (99 carries, 638 yards, 4 TD) are both very talented running backs, but they are better as third-down backs and catching passes out of the backfield. They aren’t the type of guys that are going to run the ball 20+ times per game.

WRs Victor Bolden (68 catches, 785 yards, 2 TD) and Jordan Villamin (34 catches, 572 yards, 6 TD) are two receivers who have shown the ability to make some plays after the catch. The offense will need to be able to score a lot of points, as the defense will have all kinds of trouble slowing down the Ducks.

OSU's defensive unit ranks 91^st in the nation in scoring defense (30.2 PPG allowed). Senior S Ty Zimmerman (83 tackles, 3 INT) is the leader on the defense, as he can make plays in both stopping the run and in covering receivers. LBs D.J. Alexander (63 tackles, 10 TFL, 3 sacks) and Michael Doctor (62 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 INT) are two other players to watch out for on this unit.

- Carrie Stroup, Gambling911.com Senior Reporter