Oregon Ducks football vs. Liberty: Fiesta Bowl predictions

The No. 8 Oregon football team will look to finish its season on a high note on New Year’s Day when it takes on No. 23 Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

As of Thursday afternoon, Fanduel Sportsbook has the Ducks as 16.5-point favorites on a neutral field. Oregon is -720 on the moneyline while Liberty is +500. The over/under (point total) is set at 66.5.

The Ducks (11-2, 8-1 Pac-12) have just two losses to the same team this season, No. 2 Washington, and most recently lost the Pac-12 championship to the Huskies in Las Vegas, 34-31. The Flames (13-0, 8-0 CUSA) are one of four undefeated teams in FBS football this season, along with Michigan, UW and Florida State, and most recently won the Conference USA title against New Mexico State, 49-35.

Here’s what national media are saying ahead of Oregon’s Fiesta Bowl matchup with the Flames.

Bill Bender writes: “Liberty leads the FBS with 302.9 rushing yards per game, Kaidon Salter is a fantastic dual-threat quarterback and Jamey Chadwell worked wonders in Year 1. Oregon, however, is more than happy to get in a fast-break game. It will be on the Flames to keep up.”

Pick: Oregon wins 48-31 and covers.

The measurement of a team’s strength and how many points above or below an average team is favors Oregon, giving them a 90% chance to win outright. It also mentions Liberty is 4-0 all-time in bowl games against the spread, and six of the Flames’ last seven games have gone over the total.

Prediction: Oregon by 18.6 points

Dan Santaromita writes: “The Flames are 13-0 and put up impressive numbers, but had one of the softest schedules in the country. Oregon will be Liberty’s first Power 5 opponent this season, and most of the teams on Liberty’s schedule did not make a bowl game. This is Liberty’s fifth straight bowl appearance. The Flames are 3-1 in bowl games, but none were against Power 5 opponents. Oregon is 2-1 in the Fiesta Bowl.”

Brett Gibbons writes: “Liberty didn’t play one team from the Power Five, and their schedule ranked the easiest in the country. To go from Sam Houston State and FIU to Oregon is a major step-up in caliber. With the buy-in from the Ducks, the Flames might be in for a long afternoon.”

Pick: Oregon 56-28

Bryan Fischer writes: “Even if Bo Nix and a handful of other NFL players opt out of this one, stick around for the chess match that comes from Dan Lanning’s defense trying to stop what Jamey Chadwell does on offense, as the Flames try to cap off their first year in C-USA as an undefeated.”

Pick: Oregon

Joel Klatt says: “I like Oregon in that one, and potentially big. Although I think Liberty and that run game could slow the game down and limit possessions. They might have a good chance to cover … that’ll be a fun game to watch.”