Another week, another Pac-12 matchup with College Football Playoff implications. It remains to be seen how long these good times last for the conference, but as it stands, Saturday’s Chip Kelly Bowl between UCLA and Oregon won’t be the last nationally relevant game in the conference this season.

With USC going down in the final minute at Utah this past Saturday, the Bruins are now the Pac-12’s only undefeated team and the conference’s highest-ranked representative in this week’s AP poll.

Directly behind them in the AP poll–and directly ahead of them in the Coaches poll–are the Ducks, who have reeled off five straight wins since being destroyed by Georgia to open the season.

UCLA Bruins vs. Oregon Ducks Matchup Information and Betting Odds
Matchup Information
Matchup: UCLA Bruins (6-0, 3-0 Pac-12, #9 AP/#10 Coaches) vs. Oregon Ducks (5-1, 3-0 Pac-12, #10 AP/#9 Coaches)
Venue & Location: Autzen Stadium (Eugene, Oregon)
Date: Saturday, October 22, 2022
Game Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time (12:30 p.m. local time)
How to Watch UCLA vs. Oregon: FOX
UCLA vs. Oregon Odds
Game odds are via FanDuel as of Monday, October 17 at 8:15 p.m. Eastern. Odds from our other recommended legal online sportsbooks may also be used in this article.

Spread
UCLA +6 (-110)
Oregon -6 (-110)
Over/Under
Over 70.5 (-110)
Under 70.5 (-110)
Moneyline
UCLA +195
Oregon -240
UCLA vs. Oregon Prediction and Betting Picks
UCLA vs. Oregon Prediction: Oregon to win

UCLA vs. Oregon Picks: UCLA/Oregon over (Best Value: over 70 @ -110 at Caesars Sportsbook) & Oregon team total over (n/a as of Monday, October 17)

It might unsettle some to see Oregon in the top 10 and very much in the College Football Playoff mix after being destroyed by Georgia and their best win to this point being a win over BYU, who is now 4-3 and unranked.

But here they are, and with a win over the Bruins, the Ducks are likely to be into the mix for a good while longer, with road games against Cal and Colorado and a home game against Washington ahead before a showdown with Utah on November 19.

When giving my BYU vs. Oregon pick last month, I made my skepticism about the Ducks’ ceiling with Bo Nix. And it was justified skepticism, given Nix’s body of work.

But he has entered the fringes of the Heisman Trophy conversation by putting up big numbers in every game since the Georgia loss. If he can pass Saturday’s test, his odds will shorten even further. The competition hasn’t been great week in, week out, but that is no small thing.

UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who is directly ahead of Nix in FanDuel’s Heisman odds, is in the same position.

Current 2022 Heisman Trophy Odds
Odds are via FanDuel.

CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State +100
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +440
Caleb Williams, QB, USC +900
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +1200
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +2000
DJ Uiagalelei, QB, Clemson +2500
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama +2500
Adrian Martinez, QB, Kansas State +3000
Spencer Sanders, QB, Oklahoma State +3000
Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina +3000
Dorian Thompson-Robinson, QB, UCLA +3500
Bo Nix, QB, Oregon +5000
This game might be one that Thompson-Robinson would have been circling, both for its potential importance for UCLA and because of how the last two games against the Ducks played out.

In 2020, he missed the game in Eugene because of COVID. Backup Chase Griffin led the Bruins into Oregon territory on their final drive down 38-35, but the drive stalled at the Ducks’ 41.

Last year in Pasadena, Thompson-Robinson suffered a shoulder injury on UCLA’s final drive as he was trying to lead the Bruins to a game-tying or winning score. Ethan Garbers came in and led the Bruins to the Ducks’ 39 in the final minute, but he was picked off by DJ James to seal Oregon’s 34-31 win.

A win at Autzen Stadium would thus be huge for Thompson-Robinson and for the Bruins, who have Stanford (home), Arizona State (away), and Arizona (home) before finishing up against USC and at Cal.

But in a game that will feature no shortage of points and plenty of production by Nix and Thompson-Robinson, I like the Ducks to get the dub.

So far this season, home advantage has proven to be very valuable in big games, and it will again in this matchup.

Team totals aren’t up yet, but my other favorite pick will be Oregon’s team total. They have scored at least 41 points in their last five games, and I don’t expect UCLA’s defense to keep them from hitting 40+ yet again.