Oregon vs. Purdue Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 8

Reed Wallach | 4 Hours Ago

Oct 12, 2024; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel (8) celebrates a touchdown run during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images / Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Oregon is off arguably the best win of the season to date, knocking off Ohio State as home underdogs to solidify itself as a National Championship contender.

Can the Ducks turn around quickly and handle a lowly Big Ten foe in Purdue? The Boilermakers continue to undergo changes on the coaching staff and on the roster, but showed some life last week with backup Ryan Browne taking over for Hudson Card, nearly erasing a massive deficit to beat Illinois as a three touchdown underdog.

Has Purdue turned a corner? Or is the team going to run into a buzzsaw in Oregon?

Let's break it down and dish out a best bet.

Oregon vs. Purdue Odds, Spread and Total

Spread

• Oregon: -27 (-110)
• Purdue: +27 (-110)

Moneyline

• Oregon: -4500
• Purdue: +1600

Total: 59 (Over -110/Under -110)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Oregon vs. Purdue How to Watch

• Date: Friday, October 17th
• Game Time: 8:00 PM EST
• Venue: Ross-Ade Stadium
• How to Watch (TV): FOX
• Oregon Record: 6-0
• Purdue Record: 1-5

Oregon vs. Purdue Key Players to Watch

Oregon

Dillon Gabriel: Gabriel announced himself as a Heisman Trophy contender in last week’s win against Ohio State, passing for 341 yards and totaling three touchdowns in the home victory. The Ducks will need Gabriel to continue to play at a high level, but can this be an opportunity for him to pad his stats in hopes of helping him contend for the most prestigious award in college football. 

Purdue

Ryan Browne: Stepping in for Hudson Card, Browne was electric in relief, nearly leading an improbable comeback against Illinois. Browne passed for 297 yards and ran for 118 while totaling three touchdowns against Illinois. Can Browne keep it up against a bonafide National Championship contender? 

Oregon vs. Purdue Prediction and Pick

While the score of Purdue-Illinois makes one think that the Boilermakers have found something on offense with a new offensive coordinator and Brown stepping in for Card, I believe that was an outlier and not the norm. 

The Boilermakers will struggle to put points on the board against Oregon’s defense that gets to the quarterback at an elite level, 19th in sacks and does a great job of keeping teams behind the sticks, 13th in success rate. 

Purdue fell down by more than three scores before rallying late in a chaotic end-game sequence, but I don’t envision that will be the case against an elite team like Oregon. 

Meanwhile, the Ducks can score in bunches and quite quickly, but on a short week with a cross-country travel situation after beating Ohio State, I believe that the team looks to get out of this game healthy rather than run it up to a massive degree. 

With a total this high, one would need both teams to put up points at an efficient clip to get over this, but I believe we see Oregon continue to put together strong defensive efforts, build a big lead and get the starters off the field. 

PICK: UNDER 59

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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