Sammy’s Sportsbook Whispers: Oh How The Mighty Ducks Have Fallen

The Oregon Ducks entered the college football season with one of the shortest prices to win a national championship, thanks to a talent-stocked roster built by Dan Lanning and headlined by future NFL quarterback Dante Moore. Fast-forward to today and the Ducks are 3-2, Moore is hurt, the offense can’t run the ball and the secondary is a huge question mark. Oregon is now as high as -800 to miss the College Football Playoff. I think it’s the toughest team in the country to price. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. “That was a two-week game to get ready for UCLA,” former Las Vegas bookmaker Ed Salmons told me over the phone. “Oregon had all the time in the world to practice and prepare with [Dylan] Raiola, and it looked like they just dropped him into the middle of the game cold. He was missing passes by like five yards on most throws. He was just awful. The entire offense was. “I make Oregon +14 at Ohio State.” My, how the once mighty Ducks have fallen. “Oregon doesn’t look quite as sharp or efficient as the teams we’ve grown accustomed to seeing in recent years,” Caesars Sportsbook head of football Joey Feazel said. “The talent is still there, but it will be fascinating to see how this team responds and whether it can navigate adversity.” As for UCLA (5-0 SU, 5-0 ATS), the Bruins opened on Sunday as a 3-point home favorite against Wisconsin, with quarterback Nico Iamaleava’s status up in the air. He has since been ruled out and the line dipped to UCLA -2.5. That’s a rat line if I’ve ever seen one. “I would like Wisconsin at +3,” Salmons admitted. “This line tells the story, though. And it’s usually a good idea to bet against backup quarterbacks. “Backup quarterbacks in college are awful. Except for at UMass.” “Colton Joseph can play, too,” professional bettor Slice added. “He was a star at Old Dominion last year. The kid had 35 touchdowns and a ton of those were on the ground. [Luke] Fickell struck gold with that kid in the portal.” One of the most anticipated games this Saturday takes place in Provo, with No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU. The Fighting Irish are currently 10.5-point favorites in the market with a total of 47. Both teams are undefeated. “I definitely like Under 47,” Salmons opined. “BYU takes the longest time between snaps of any team in the country, which is hard to believe. I’m sure they’ll have plenty of designed quarterback runs to move the sticks and hold the ball. They have a good defense, too. It feels like a low-scoring game. “These top-10 matches are usually solid Under looks.” Boy, was that true when Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 last weekend. Finally, let’s talk Minnesota Vikings. They continue to win games and make you money with a 4-1 ATS mark. Their quarterback room isn’t special, but the defense is downright dominant. Are they actually contenders? “The Vikings’ defense is unquestionably the strength of the team, and it’s easy to see why Brian Flores is generating head coaching buzz yet again,” Feazel said. “The offense showed signs of improvement last week in New Orleans and looked more cohesive than it has at times this season. “Until the Vikings prove they can consistently win because of their offense, rather than simply avoiding mistakes and leaning on their defense, it’s hard to say they’re a true Super Bowl contender right now.”