Rose Bowl: Seminoles vs Ducks
Bowl season in college football sees betting action between the #3 Florida State Seminoles facing the #2 Oregon Ducks in the 2015 Rose Bowl. Cappers Picks provides free college football handicapping tips all season long.
Entering this contest, the Seminoles are coming off another close victory.
College Football Odds
#3 Florida State (13-0) vs. #2 Oregon (12-1)
Tuesday, Dec. 30
2:00 PM ET
2015 Rose Bowl Bowl
College Football Betting Lines: Oregon -9
College Football O/U:
***2014 CFB BONUSES***
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They took down then-ranked No. 11 Georgia Tech 37-35, which has landed them in the 2015 Rose Bowl with a perfect 13-0 record.
Oregon is also coming off a win, but in less dramatic fashion. The team from Eugene, Ore. defeated the then-ranked No. 7 Arizona Wildcats 51-13 in the Pac-12 championship game.
Florida State
Florida State is 13-0. You can’t deny perfection, but the way they’ve done it has been as dramatic as any team has won games all season.
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Despite averaging 11.8 more points per game than they give up, the Seminoles have made a habit of squeaking out close ones. The team hasn’t won a game by double-digits since Nov. 8, winning the subsequent four contests by an average of just 3.5 points.
Part of the reason for this is the ball control of Jameis Winston. The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner has 17 interceptions to go along with his 24 touchdowns, but the good news for FSU fans is that he managed to toss for three scores and zero giveaways in the most recent outing against Georgia Tech.
Although the Seminoles are going up against a short-handed Oregon secondary (star corner Ifo Ekpre-Olomu is out for the season), they can’t get complacent throwing the ball through the air. Despite being 14th in the nation in passing yards per game this season, they’re just 104th in rushing.
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Oregon’s defense is versatile enough to force FSU into a one-dimensional approach if the Seminoles let it. Look for the team to run early in order to set up deep balls and scramble situations late.
Oregon
The Oregon Ducks, no matter how prestigious the program has become in recent history, lacked two major accomplishments entering this season. The first, a Heisman Trophy winner, has been accomplished with quarterback Marcus Mariota taking home the hardware following the Pac-12 championship win against Arizona.
The second, a national championship, is the one fans are hoping for in this memorable season.
Behind Mariota, the Ducks have established themselves as the No. 11 team in the country in terms of passing yard per game. But unlike FSU, this group has a balanced attack between the pass and the run.
As the No. 22 team in the country in rushing yards per contest, Oregon has established something of a four-headed monster in the backfield. Royce Freeman, Thomas Tyner and Byron Marshall are the featured backs, while Mariota is as big a threat as anyone to break out for a big play.
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Look for the Ducks to run the same game they’ve played all year — different looks to different players all game long.
NCAA Football Handicapping Trends:
* Oregon is 5-0 ATS in last 5
* Florida State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5
* FSU are 8-1-1 ATS in their last 10 bowl games.
* FSU are 2-6 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-2 in FSU last 8 neutral site games.
* ORE are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
* ORE are 19-7 ATS vs. a team with a winning record.
* ORE are 19-7 ATS in their last 26 games on grass.
Rose Bowl
This one comes down to ball control. Expect Mariota to throw at least one pick, and expect Winston to be better than expected.
4* Free NCAA Betting Pick Florida State +9
Oregon has opened as nine-point favorites. Quite frankly, that seems high.
The truth is, the number makes sense. Oregon continues to blow teams out of the water, while FSU continues to sneak out wins.
Expect Winston to take advantage of the short-handed secondary of Oregon. The Ducks should still walk away with a win straight up, but if Winston controls the ball, we’re looking at a contest decided by less than a touchdown.
Check out our Updated College Football Bowl Game Odds.
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