Skip to main content

BYU vs. Oregon Picks, Predictions College Football Week 3: Ducks Look to Stretch Home Winning Streak

Henry John

Last Updated: September 20, 2022 2:19 PM EDT • 4 min 23 sec read.

Jaren Hall of the Brigham Young Cougars looks to pass in the fourth quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium.
Jaren Hall of the Brigham Young Cougars looks to pass in the fourth quarter against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium. Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images via AFP.

Saturday’s contest marks only the third time since 2019 that BYU has gone into a game as the betting underdog. Here are our top BYU-Oregon picks for Week 3.

One of two matchups between a pair of ranked teams on the Week 3 college football slate will see the BYU Cougars travel to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Oregon Ducks.

After knocking off Baylor last week in what was an AP Poll rankings upset only, BYU (2-0 ATS, 1-1 O/U) has gotten a lot of attention from the betting public ahead of Saturday’s showdown in Eugene. The Cougars essentially find themselves on the other side of the equation this week. Despite being the higher-ranked team, BYU is the betting underdog.

After getting completely dismantled in Week 1, Oregon (1-1 ATS 1-1 O/U) managed to right the ship last Saturday. The Ducks throttled FCS-level Eastern Washington to secure their first win of the season. One would have to go all the way back to the fourth game of the 2018 season to find the last time Oregon lost outright at home.

Here are our top picks for the Week 3 matchup between BYU and Oregon (odds via PointsBet and FanDuel Sportsbooks; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale)

BYU vs. Oregon Game Info

Date: Saturday, Sept. 17, 12:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Weather: 58℉, 29% chance of precipitation, 3-5 mph winds W

BYU vs. Oregon Odds Analysis

The point spread for this Top 25 showdown has experienced minimal line movement thus far. Oregon is favored by 3.5 points, this value sits a half-point above the lookahead number of Oregon -3 and a half-point below the consensus opening spread for game week.

Although Oregon is favored, the Ducks are not the popular pick to win this matchup. Updated betting percentages at DraftKings Sportsbook reveal that over 60% of all ATS bets and nearly 80% of the money are on BYU as a road underdog.

As for the total, the consensus of 58 sits slightly higher than the early line of 55.5. The Over has been the more popular play among public bettors thus far with 62% of all bets taking that side. 

BYU vs. Oregon Picks

By U915

Bet $10 Win $200 if Any College Team Scores a TD - Offer valid for new players who sign up for BetMGM. Bet at least $10 on any college football team to win outright at standard odds, and you will be awarded four (4) $50 free bets, whether your first bet wins or loses. Free bets must be used within 7 days of them being credited to your account. Each free bet can only be placed as one straight bet or one parlay and cannot be split between various bet placements.

BYU vs. Oregon ATS Pick

Oregon -3.5 (-107) ★★

Let’s start by acknowledging that playing Oregon as the favorite in this spot runs contrary to how these two teams stack up in our Week 3 college football power rankings. That said, the gap between them in our rankings is much smaller than it is in the AP Poll. The fact that BYU is the public side looms large in the decision to back the Ducks.

Much of the college football world immediately dismissed Oregon after its embarrassing Week 1 loss to Georgia. The problem with rushing to judge the Ducks based on that outcome is that Georgia is simply head and shoulders above virtually all other teams in college football. Thus, losing big in a pseudo-road game to the Bulldogs isn’t exactly the end of the world.

Of course, the blowout loss two weeks ago was also the very first game for both head coach Dan Lanning and quarterback Bo Nix with Oregon. The Ducks were able to get back on track last week against an overmatched FCS opponent. That win may not mean much, but it was undoubtedly beneficial for Oregon from a confidence standpoint ahead of facing another ranked opponent.

Last week, despite losing its lead ball-carrier, Baylor was still able to run the ball on the BYU defense with a decent level of success. It would hardly be a shock to see the Ducks replicate that success, knowing that they have one of the best offensive lines in all of college football. 

So long as Nix avoids costly turnovers, Oregon will be fine offensively. In the grand scheme of this matchup, it shouldn’t take an overly explosive day for the Ducks to outscore a shorthanded BYU offense.

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.

BYU vs. Oregon O/U Pick

Under 58 (-107) ★★★

It’s quite surprising that the Over/Under has risen nearly three full points for this game given the personnel outlook for both teams. With buy-back on the Under already ensuing at several major sportsbooks, bettors are advised to target the line of 58 available via PointsBet.

One can easily argue that in the long term, Oregon’s defense will be the strength of the team this season. Uncertainty regarding Nix at quarterback coupled with the defensive-minded Lanning taking over as head coach are both key components of this assessment.

As for BYU, last week’s win over Baylor was made all the more impressive by the fact that the Cougars were without their top two wide receivers. Both Gunner Romney and Puka Nacua missed the game due to injuries and neither appears to be on track to play in Week 3 either.

Receiver Chase Roberts emerged as QB Jaren Hall’s go-to target last week. While the performance was impressive, Roberts won’t have the same element of surprise against the Oregon defense on Saturday. Thus, while Hall gets the nod as the better quarterback in this matchup, the outlook for BYU’s offense is quite cloudy. 

BYU vs. Oregon Prop Pick

BYU team total Under 27.5 (-122) ★★★★

Depending on the sportsbook, one can find BYU’s team total listed anywhere from 26.5-27.5. The injury concerns at wide receiver are a huge factor when it comes to betting the Cougars’ team total Under.

Last season, Oregon allowed only 222 passing yards per game. Opposing quarterbacks managed just a 59.0 completion percentage against the Ducks. Despite numerous departures in the defensive secondary, there is still plenty of talent. In fact, the back end of Oregon’s defense may be slightly ahead of Baylor’s this season.

Facing a top-notch secondary is hardly ideal for a BYU offense that figures to be without its top two wideouts. Simply leaning on Christopher Brooks and the ground game is also easier said than done when Oregon has a stealthy linebacking corps led by Noah Sewell. 

The Cougars will be hard-pressed to surpass 27.5 points on the road in what truly sets up as a statement game for Lanning’s defense.

Where to Bet on BYU vs. Oregon Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

BYU-Oregon picks made 9/15/2022 at 5:14 p.m. ET

Written By:
Henry John
Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.