Add The New York Post on Google It’s national championship or bust for the Oregon Ducks.
Ranked No. 2 in the nation in the initial AP Poll, Oregon will get an early test from Boise State, the favorite to win the Pac-12.
The Broncos are 24.5-point underdogs in Eugene in one of the headliners in Week 1.
There are certain qualities you look for when you’re backing a big underdog in college football, and they all seem to line up for Boise State.
That doesn’t mean that the Broncos are live to win this contest, but it does point to them being a tougher out than these odds suggest.
The first thing to like about Boise State is that they can run the ball effectively. Oregon will be the best defensive front the Broncos face all season, but they’re catching them in Week 1, so it’s fair to expect the Ducks to not be at their best.
Sire Gaines and Dylan Riley combined for just under 2,000 yards last year, and they’ll be running behind an experienced offensive line that should be able to hold its own in this contest.
The Broncos will need to hit some big plays from returning quarterback Maddux Madsen if they want to pull the upset, but their offensive game plan will be built around running the ball and keeping the clock moving.
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Oregon head coach Dan Lanning. Getty Images If the Broncos are able to keep the clock moving on offense, the defense should take over from there. Boise State’s defensive front is bookended by stars Max Stege and Jayden Virgin-Morgan, and they have plenty of blue-chippers and talented transfers coming in to help out.
Oregon’s a juggernaut. Dante Moore is a legit Heisman hopeful. The Ducks, on their best day, could be the top team in FBS.
But this is Week 1, and they’re laying 24.5 points in a game that they will hope to have wrapped up by halftime. That is easier said than done against a Boise State side that is being underrated based on a disappointing 2025 campaign.
The Play: Boise State +24.5 (-110, DraftKings)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
