Oregon vs Texas Tech Odds, Picks, and Predictions: Irving Unleashes Against Suspect Red Raiders' Front Seven

The Oregon Ducks head to Lubbock to face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in what’s anticipated as one of the highest-scoring affairs of the college football weekend.

College football odds have a total near 70 points, largely because of the show Oregon put on last week. The 81 points the Ducks scored on Portland State could’ve easily been more, as they are spoiled when it comes to an abundance of talented skill-position players.

Texas Tech has spent the last week trying to figure out what went wrong following its loss to Wyoming in double overtime. After putting up 17 unanswered points in the first quarter, the Red Raiders didn’t score again until a tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation. Quarterback Tyler Shough will hope he can avoid repeating that as he goes up against his former school in Week 2.

Our college football picks and predictions for Oregon vs. Texas Tech explain why an early touchdown is in the cards for one of the matchup's most explosive players on Saturday. 

Oregon vs Texas Tech best odds

Oregon vs Texas Tech picks and predictions

In addition to quarterback Bo Nix, Oregon has multiple running backs that take care of the football. But none is as dangerous as Bucky Irving.

Irving only had four carries a week ago, but he capitalized on those opportunities and racked up 119 yards and two touchdowns. The first of those was a powerful 52-yard run in the first quarter before he went 56 yards untouched in the second quarter.

The former Gopher's RB is going to have a favorable matchup against Texas Tech on Saturday, as the Red Raiders allowed three different Wyoming players to hit runs of 15 or more yards a week ago.

If Wyoming was able to open up holes like that, there’s no doubt that Oregon can do the same. The Ducks put up ridiculous numbers last week without even trying, and Nix & Co. are going to put even more pressure on Texas Tech’s defense than Wyoming could.

With Irving having such a terrific finish to last season, he’s come into this year with high expectations. That also comes with a larger workload, and he’s a threat to score from anywhere on the field. With a deadly combination of blazing speed and the ability to run through tacklers, I expect the 2022 Holiday Bowl MVP to find success against a suspect Red Raiders front seven.

Over at bet365, you can wager not just on if a player will score a touchdown, but if they’ll do so in the first half. That’s exactly what we’re doing here. 

Irving has scored before halftime in three of Oregon’s last four games dating back to last season. Our best bet is for him to do it again as Oregon takes advantage of Texas Tech early on. 

My best bet: Bucky Irving to score a touchdown in the first half (+140 at bet365)

Oregon vs Texas Tech same-game parlay

Bucky Irving to score a touchdown in the first half (+140)

Oregon -6.5 (-110)

Race to 25 points: Oregon (-200)

+320 at bet365

In addition to Irving scoring before halftime, we’re backing Oregon to fly out of the gates and reach 25 points before Texas Tech. The Red Raiders weren’t particularly explosive on offense a week ago, and Oregon’s size up front is going to cause some problems for an offensive line that gave up three sacks last weekend.

That’s also why we’re taking Oregon to cover the spread of 6.5 points. The Ducks are the better team on offense, and their defense has more speed and talent than Wyoming’s. Oregon's big-play ability is going to be too much for Texas Tech to keep up with, even with its terrific home atmosphere.  

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Oregon vs Texas Tech spread and Over/Under analysis

As we’ve already discussed, Oregon is favored by nearly a touchdown, although DraftKings is currently listing them at -6 in this one. That’s up from the -3.5 line they were offering early on, which quickly got bet up. 

The Ducks should cover against a Texas Tech team that has simply been inconsistent since the start of last season. Tyler Shough is capable of having great performances one week, and then an absolute stinker the next. Oregon is better at nearly every position than Wyoming, and the Ducks are not likely to turn the ball over the way the Cowboys did.

As for the O/U of 68.5, much of that is driven by Oregon’s performance last weekend. It’s why the total has been bet up from an opening line of 66.5 and is as high as 69.0 right now.

The crucial factor in this situation hinges on whether Texas Tech can put points up on the board. Last week, the Red Raiders managed to score only 20 points during regulation. However, it's worth noting that they scored one of their touchdowns by advancing just 26 yards after recovering a fumble, and they also tacked on a field goal after another fumble recovery in Wyoming territory.

Personally, I’d lean Under here. I think Oregon easily clears 30 points, but I’m not sure they’ll rack up as many huge plays in what will be a hostile atmosphere. I also don’t think Texas Tech will do enough to approach the high total, so I’d fade the public in this spot. 

Oregon vs Texas Tech betting trend to know

Texas Tech has won 23 consecutive home openers. Find more college football betting trends for Oregon vs Texas Tech.

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