The Big Ten Conference championship game is one of the most-anticipated matchups of the weekend as the No. 3 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions (11-1, 8-1 Big Ten) face off against the No. 1 ranked Oregon Ducks (12-0, 9-0 Big Ten) on Saturday night.
With both teams comfortably in the first-ever 12-team playoff, expect this game to be about bragging rights. Penn State has won only one Big 10 title since 2009 while the Ducks are looking to claim the crown in their first season in the conference.
Which of these opposite-coast teams will leave Indianapolis with the Big Ten title? We’ll cover that and our three favorite player prop bets for Saturday night’s game.
Oregon Ducks QB Dillon Gabriel UNDER 235.5 Passing Yards
Quarterback Dillon Gabriel is a gun for hire, traveling around the country looking for his next target. The senior signal-caller has played in schools spanning the country, playing in both the southernmost state to his current home in the northwest.
Throughout his time, he’s been consistently one of the better quarterbacks in college football. For his career, he’s completed 65 percent of his passes for 18,140 yards, 149 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions. This year, he’s passed for 3,275 yards and 24 scores on 73.5 percent passing.
Earlier this season, the Ducks needed Gabriel to move the chains, especially when the running game wasn’t humming along like it currently is. The contest against Penn State should prove to be a similar affair, keeping Gabriel from exceeding this player prop bet.
Penn State Nittany Lions TE Tyler Warren OVER 68.5 Receiving Yards
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar has one of the most reliable targets in the country with 6-foot-6 senior Tyler Warren. This season, Warren has caught 81 passes for 978 yards and six scores while he’s also rushed 21 times for 189 yards and four more touchdowns.
Against the Ducks, expect Penn State to create ways to get Warren open looks. He’s finished with at least 68 yards in the previous four outings, so expect the Nittany Lions to get him near 100 total yards of offense again while covering this player prop bet.
Oregon Ducks RB Jordan James OVER 95.5 Rushing Yards
Oregon’s offense has been fun to watch, and part of that relies on running back Jordan James. The 5-foot-10 junior has recorded 1,166 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns off 206 carries this season.
Expect him to continue his torrid pace against the Nittany Lions. James has rushed for 100-plus yards in six games this season, and he’s finished with 83 or more yards in all but two outings. Bettors should have confidence in James meeting his player prop mark.
Best Bet: Oregon (-3.5)
Penn State is a fantastic team, and an 11-1 record is certainly nothing to look down anyone’s nose at. The knock on the Nittany Lions is their head coach James Franklin. In his tenure at Penn State, Franklin has remained close to greatness without achieving it.
On Saturday, he’ll have a chance again at greatness and help the Nittany Lions win another championship – something he’s done only once in the past decade. It’s just so hard to pick his team when he hasn’t been able to win the ones that matter the most.
Oregon’s head coach Dan Lanning has proven the Ducks’ job is not too big for him. In three seasons, he’s won 34 out of his 39 games despite losing his only opportunity in a championship game. Don’t expect history to repeat itself; Lanning and the Ducks roll Penn State to march toward the playoffs.
