Fiesta Bowl Odds – Oregon Ducks vs. Iowa State Cyclones
They took different routes to get here but the Oregon Ducks and Iowa State Cyclones are just happy to be playing in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon backed into the Pac-12 title game when Washington shut down over COVID concerns. The Ducks made the most of their opportunity by beating USC to earn the league’s New Year’s Six berth despite a 4-2 record. Enjoying perhaps the best season in program history, Iowa State won eight times to reach its first January bowl game even after a loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship. ISU is a 4-point favorite to match the program record for wins in a season. Bookmaker.eu offers a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600)
Oregon Ducks vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Date and Time: Saturday, January 2, 2021, 4 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
CFB Odds: Iowa State -4, O/U 58
Oregon vs. Iowa State TV Coverage: ESPN
Odds Analysis
Based on their body of work the Ducks probably don’t deserve this game. They played just six games and were riding a two-game losing streak before getting the news that they’d replace Washington in the Pac-12 Championship. So, the Ducks are catching points for the second straight game being positioned as a 4-point dog to the upstart Cyclones. Oregon beat USC 31-24 to earn the Pac’s New Year’s Six bowl bid. The Ducks were 1-2 SU and 0-3 ATS in their previous three games and didn’t look anything like the team that was favored to win the league title at the beginning of the season. Iowa State overcame a season-opening 31-14 loss to Louisiana to win eight of its next nine games going 6-3 ATS. The Cyclones are 7-0 SU and 5-2 ATS in their last seven games as a betting favorite.
Oregon Ducks
While most of the world is cursing COVID, the Ducks got some positive results from the virus. And it came at the expense of the rival Washington Huskies, which made the whole experience even sweeter. Playing in the Pac-12 title game in place of U-Dub, the Ducks played their best game of the season in the 31-24 upset of USC breaking a two-game SU and three-game ATS losing streak.
The Ducks were the trendy preseason pick to win the Pac and they delivered, though it wasn’t the way they intended. They opened with three straight wins before losses to Oregon State and Cal. Even their 38-35 win over UCLA as an 18-.5-point favorite was troubling. Some will question Oregon being in this game, but the Ducks earned the opportunity after it was presented to them. They came up with a big game defensively to squelch the Trojans, holding them to only 38 yards rushing and picking off three Kedon Slovis passes.
A more consistent performance from Tyler Shough and the offense will help Oregon’s chances of getting the upset. Shough threw for 1,460 yards and 13 touchdowns but had just 91 yards passing against USC. Anthony Brown saw action for the first time in different packages throwing two touchdown passes among his three completions. We could see more of the grad transfer against a stingy Cyclones defense.
Iowa State Cyclones
Amid a pandemic and all the issues with trying to play a football season, the Cyclones have put together what is probably the finest season in program history. It didn’t start out that way, though. With plenty of preseason hype Iowa State laid an egg in the opener, losing 31-14 to Louisiana. As it turns out the loss wasn’t all that bad. The Sun Belt co-champion Ragin’ Cajuns went 9-1 with their only loss to Coastal Carolina, which finished the regular season at 11-0. And the Cyclones got better as the season moved along.
Behind an offense featuring the nation’s top rusher during the regular season, the Cyclones won eight of their next nine games beating Big 12 heavyweights Oklahoma and Texas along the way. Breece Hall was a finalist for the nation’s best running back award after collecting 1,436 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. Quarterback Brock Purdy also had a solid season throwing for 2,594 yards and 18 touchdowns with an additional 343 yards and four scores on the ground. ISU ranked among the top-30 nationally in total yards while averaging 32.8 points.
While the offense was potent at times, the Cyclones relied heavily on a defense that allowed just 344.3 yards and 21.8 points during the season. Those are impressive numbers in the offense-happy Big 12. And playing a near full slate of games has the Cyclones in position to match the program record for wins.
Bet Oregon vs. Iowa State at BookMaker.eu
At least Oregon should be fresh after playing only six games, but it was hardly the season they expected. The offense was inconsistent and they struggled to stop the run most of the season. That will be an issue against Hall and the Cyclones, who use a relentless defense and ground attack to control games. And while they are experiencing a number of firsts this season, the Cyclones won’t be fazed by the big bowl stage.
CFB Score Prediction: Iowa State 32, Oregon 26
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today.
- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com
