Expert Top Picks of the Day: Alamo Bowl: Oregon Ducks vs. Oklahoma Sooners
As the semifinal stage approaches, bowl season features the top teams that remained at the end of the NCAA’s 2021 season. This year’s Valero Alamo Bowl will feature the 14th-ranked Oregon Ducks against the 16th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
From season stats, it isn’t clear which team is better before tonight’s matchup, yet one thing is for sure; a taste of top NCAA talent will be featured in this clash between the Pac-12 North and the Big-12 Conference.
The Ducks finished the season at 10-3 but were only 3-2 in their last five games. The Sooners recorded just one less defeat than their rivals and finished the regular season with a 3-2 record in their last five games.
Oregon finished at the top of their conference standings yet managed to get close to the championship title. The Sooners finished second overall in their conference standings. They weren’t able to reach any further stage that would put them into championship contention.
Oregon Ducks vs. Oklahoma Sooners Schedule
- Date: Wednesday, December 29
- Time: 08:15 PM CST
- Location: The Alamodome, San Antonio, TX
Ducks’ Last Chance to Prove They’re a Top Ncaa Team
It seemed like a win over Ohio State would allow the Ducks to go through the 2021 regular season confidently. Their two losses to the Utah Utes would end up taking a toll on an almost perfect season.
A crushing 38-7 road loss to the Utes on November 20 and an unsuccessful 38-10 home defeat against Utah just thirteen days later proved that Oregon’s defense wasn’t only deficient but opened the debate as to how their offensive production was consistent throughout the regular season.
The Ducks will need to rely on QB Anthony Brown, who finished the season with 2,638 passing yards for 15 touchdowns, and RB Travis Dye, who added 1,118 yards and 15 touchdowns.
In terms of passing and rushing yards per game, Oregon produced 214.8 and 203.2, respectively. This is far from being ranked in the top in either category, but enough to have kept them among the top seeds.
Sooners’ More Trustworthy Per-Game Numbers
The Sooners finished the season with two losses. The squad took their first defeat 27-14 to Baylor and later returned home to win a solid 28-21 over Iowa State.
The Sooners realized their misstep against Baylor had been somewhat of a preview to their 37-33 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, which took away their championship hopes. Oklahoma might still look more than a bit ambitious as they go for a win in their last game of the season.
Oklahoma will now rely on QB Caleb Williams, who led the team with 1,670 passing yards, and RB Kennedy Brooks with his top-ranked 1,111 rushing yards. However, the Sooners’ more impressive numbers come from a per-game perspective. They average 265.4 passing yards and 176.3 rushing yards per contest.
Ducks vs. Sooners Odds Comparison
It’s unclear which squad truly has the edge as game time approaches. The game total went under in four of the last five games for Oregon. The total also went under in nine of the previous 11 games for Oklahoma.
The Ducks are 6-12 against the spread (ATS) in their last 18 games, and the Sooners are 4-2 in their last six as the favorites.
- DraftKings has the Sooners winning at -275 on a spread of -7, and the total is 60.5.
- FanDuel has the Sooners winning at -250 on a spread of -6.5, and the total is 60.5.
- Caesars has the Sooners winning at -260 on a spread of -6.5, and the total is 60.5.
Godds Pick or Prediction of the Game
The Ducks’ overall individual performances don’t quite stack up against the Sooners’ overall per-game numbers. However, Oklahoma’s last season push has given them an advantage over Oregon.
The Ducks had two chances to surpass the same rival quickly, yet could not apply any visible opportunities that could have propelled them to the championship stage. So if an edge is clear, the Sooners might just have it on their side.
Godds Pick/Prediction: Sooners to win and the under hits.