Bet on Oregon to run the table in the regular season in first Big Ten season

It’s time for a new era of Oregon football, and the Ducks are poised to compete on the national stage as they make their way into the Big Ten.

Coach Dan Lanning was heavily linked to the Alabama job this offseason after Nick Saban retired, but it’s clear he’s building something special in Eugene. Lanning said he feels he has “unfinished business” and plenty left to accomplish with the Ducks.

The betting odds indicate a strong likelihood that Lanning and the Ducks can accomplish those goals this fall. Oregon is priced at +200 to win the Big Ten on BetMGM, behind only Ohio State (+150), and it’s priced at +800 to win the national championship, giving it the fourth-highest title odds.

How will the Ducks fare in their new conference? Can Lanning lead Oregon to its first-ever national championship? Let’s take a look at the roster and schedule to project how this season might unfold.

2024 Transfers and Returning Production (TARP): -1 offense, +5 defense, +4 net

Key additions: QB Dillon Gabriel (Oklahoma), WR Evan Stewart (Texas A&M), OG Matthew Bedford (Indiana), DL Jamaree Caldwell (Houston), CB Kam Alexander (UTSA), CB Jabbar Muhammad (Washington), CB Brandon Johnson (Duke), S Kobe Savage (Kansas State)

Key losses: QB Bo Nix, RB Bucky Irving, OG Jackson Powers-Johnson, WR Troy Franklin, DL Brandon Dorlus, LB Jamal Hill, CB Khyree Jackson, S Evan Williams

Offensive coordinator Will Stein will be tapped for head-coach openings next offseason as one of the best young coaches in the country. But first, he’s back in Eugene to lead an offense that ranked second in the country last year with 44.2 points per game.

The Ducks lost their leading passer (Nix), rusher (Irving), and receiver (Franklin), but they have reloaded incredibly well.

New starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel arrives with sky-high expectations, and he’s the current Heisman favorite at +700 on FanDuel. Gabriel has tons of talent surrounding him, especially at wide receiver. Former five-star recruit Evan Stewart enters the fold alongside Tez Johnson, who had more than 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns last fall.

The Ducks also boast a talented backfield featuring Jordan James and Noah Whittington, who ran for more than 7 yards per attempt last year.

They’ll have plenty of open rushing lanes behind one of the best offensive lines in the country, headlined by stud tackles Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius.

» READ MORE: Big Ten futures: Back Penn State to eclipse their win total with new offensive coordinator

Oregon had a top-10 scoring defense last year, but reinforcements were needed in the secondary after three starters left for the NFL.

The Ducks recognized this and got to work in the transfer portal, bringing in four projected new starters. Washington transfer Jabbar Muhammad led all cornerbacks last year with 19 forced incompletions, and he enters this season with NFL draft aspirations.

Plenty of senior talent returns in the front seven, including linebackers Jeffrey Bassa and Jestin Jacobs and defensive end Jordan Burch.

Among a handful of potential young breakout candidates at the edge defender spots, Teitum Tuioti is a player I’ll be watching this fall. His father is Tony Tuioti, the team’s defensive line coach, and Teitum had a very impressive showing in the spring game.

With how their schedule is laid out, the Ducks are poised to do some damage immediately. They should wreak havoc during a non-conference stretch that includes home games against Idaho and Boise State before a road trip to Corvallis to face an Oregon State team that got decimated this offseason.

Adjusting to life in the Big Ten could present some challenges, but tune-up games against UCLA and Michigan State are well placed before Oregon welcomes Ohio State to Autzen Stadium.

Oregon also faces a tough test on Nov. 2 when it travels to the Big House to take on the defending champion Michigan Wolverines. The Ducks are currently priced at 3.5-point favorites in that game on FanDuel, but with the level of talent Michigan still has on its roster, it should be close to a coin-flip contest.

When Lanning took over as Oregon’s head coach in 2022, it was with a future move to the Big Ten in mind. Lanning spent time coaching under Mike Norvell, Kirby Smart and Nick Saban, and he brought an elite brand of physicality and championship culture to Eugene. Of all the new teams that join the Big Ten this fall, the Ducks are by far the best poised for immediate success.

Of course, the oddsmakers are well aware of this, but that doesn’t mean we still can’t find value in the futures markets. FanDuel is offering +350 odds on Oregon to finish the regular season undefeated.

I believe in the Ducks’ ability to extinguish a loaded Buckeyes team in Eugene. If they do, we’ll have a solid opportunity to hedge this ticket against Michigan a few weeks later.

You can take Oregon to win the Big Ten at +200 odds or bet them to win over 10.5 games at around even money. I also can’t talk you out of a national championship bet at 8-1 odds. However, the +350 odds on an undefeated regular season equates to an implied probability of around 22%, and I see substantial value in that number.

The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.