The Oregon Ducks and Auburn Tigers headline Week 1 of the 2019 college football season, facing off in a top-20 duel at AT&T Stadium on Saturday night.
Neither the Oregon Ducks nor the Auburn Tigers will be on their home fields in Week 1 of the 2019 college football season. Instead, these two teams ranked inside the preseason top 20 are heading to AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, for a primetime showdown that will surely capture the national attention.
The Ducks enter the 2019 season with extremely high hopes. Quarterback Justin Herbert’s decision to return to school remains one of the most critical moves coming into this year as it puts Oregon’s offense in a great spot. With Herbert, one of the best offensive lines in college football and a slew of weapons that includes Penn State transfer Juwan Johnson. Add in Troy Dye, a playmaker on defense, and the Ducks look quite good.
Speaking of defense, though, Auburn is going to bring the heat up front against Mario Cristobal’s team and throughout the season. Derrick Brown and Nick Coe are a fierce duo on the defensive line that should breed success. However, the Tigers’ season may well hinge on the performance of true freshman starting quarterback Bo Nix and how he fares out of the gate.
Nix is being thrown into the fire as he steps into the bright lights of AT&T Stadium, matched up against a potential Heisman candidate in Herbert. The result is a high-profile matchup with national implications between Oregon and Auburn.
How to watch and bet on Oregon vs. Auburn
Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX
TV Info: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Point Spread: Auburn -3.5
Moneyline: Auburn -165, Oregon +145
Over/Under: 55
(Odds via Bovada)
I’m hitching my wagon to the Ducks in this game in terms of where to put your money. Subsequently, take them as the underdogs against the spread and get +145 on their moneyline. The over/under is set right about where it should be, making it a tough bet to call. If you must, take the under — but that’s suggested with little confidence.
Prediction: As stated, Oregon just seems like the better pick here. The Ducks have the more experienced and talented offense, led by Herbert, including an offensive line capable of neutralizing Auburn’s greatest strength, their defensive line. With that and the fact that this will be the first start for freshman Bo Nix, the Tigers might not be able to get the job done in Arlington.