The No. 5 Oregon Ducks (12-1, 8-1 Big Ten) punched their ticket to Miami on Saturday with a 51-34 win over the 12-seeded James Madison Dukes in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Now they’ll face the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders (12-1, 8-1 Big 12) in the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day.
The opening betting line is out and Dan Lanning‘s Oregon squad opened as a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Big 12 champions according to Bet MGM.
Oregon Ducks tight end Jamari Johnson (9) hauls in a one-handed touchdown catch against the James Madison Dukes. (Photo by: Max Unkrich/ScoopDuckOn3)
Spread: Oregon -1.5 (-105) | Texas Tech +1.5 (-115)
Moneyline: Oregon (-115) | Texas Tech (-105)
Point Total: 52.5 | Over (-110) | Under (-110)
This will be Oregon’s first ever appearance in the Orange Bowl and the Ducks are one of just three teams (Ohio State, Georgia) to reach the quarter finals of the College Football Playoff in each of the last two years.
Oregon’s offense is picking up steam with wide receivers Malik Benson and Jeremiah McClellan both hauling in touchdowns on the big stage in the Ducks’ first playoff win since the 2014.
The Ducks also saw Dakorien Moore and Gary Bryant Jr. play limited snaps in their first return to action since late October and early November respectively. Wide receiver Evan Stewart went through warmups in full pads but ultimately didn’t see any snaps.
Quarterback Dante Moore accounted for five total touchdowns and surpassed 300 yards through the air for the third time this season as his NFL Draft stock continues to rise. Oregon’s defense held the Dukes to six points and 197 total yards in the first of Saturdays’ win.
The Ducks will lose a few players for their quarter final matchup as safety Kingston Lopa and cornerback Sione Laulea intend to enter the transfer portal and won’t be with Oregon through the rest of their playoff run.