2011 BCS National Championship: Oregon vs. Auburn Picks & Predictions
By Anthony Rome
Bet 2011 BCS National Championship
Phoenix, AZ (The Spread) - It’s finally here: the Super Bowl of college football. Tonight at 8:30PM ET, Oregon will take on Auburn in the 2011 BCS National Championship Game for the right to be declared the best team in college football. Continue reading for odds, picks and trends on tonight’s game.
Viewing Current BCS National Championship Odds
According to oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com, Auburn is a 1.5-point favorite over Oregon on Monday night. The over/under total for this game is currently 72.5 points.
Entering Monday night’s game, Oregon is 12-0 with a 7-4-1 ATS record according to latest college football trends. They averaged 49.3 points per game this season to just 18.4 against. The over hit in eight of their 12 games this season, which includes the three of six times it hit when the Ducks played on the road.
Auburn finished a perfect 13-0 and knocked off South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game. They covered in nine of their 13 games this season and averaged 42.7 points per contest. The over hit in eight of their 13 games, including five of eight times on the road.
2011 BCS National Championship Free Pick:
What a matchup. Both of these teams can score quickly, which is why the over is tempting. But with the total sitting at 72.5 points, it would take an average of 18.25 points per quarter for that number to hit. We’re not saying it couldn’t happen, but one slow quarter could ruin the over in a heartbeat. But we still think the side is the play tonight. Auburn’s advantage is Cam Newton, who will have the ball in his hands on every down. He can beat teams with both his arm and his legs and there hasn’t been an opponent this year that has contained him. That said, Oregon ranks 14th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 18.4 points per game. If Auburn gets into a shootout, they might not like the outcome because both Darron Thomas and LaMichael James can light up a scoreboard. While it’s true that the Tigers have played better competition throughout the year, we have more faith that Oregon’s defense can get that one last stop if need be. Plus, we like that Chip Kelly and his outstanding coaching staff has had six weeks to prepare to slow Newton. No offense to Chene Chizik (who had done an incredible job this season), but we think Oregon has the edge in the coaching war. Auburn has been playing with fire all season. Mississippi State, Clemson, South Carolina (the first time), Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss, Georgia and Alabama all either had leads in the second half or played the Tigers close throughout. So given the Ducks’ explosivness on offense and their stingy defense, we like them to win outright. Our pick is Oregon +1.5.
2011 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FREE PICK: OREGON DUCKS +1.5