No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 7 Washington college football odds, trends: First-ever top-10 matchup between teams taking heaviest action of any Week 7 game

Both Oregon and Washington have been national title contenders at times over the years in college football and both have spent many weeks ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. However, Saturday's matchup between the No. 8 Ducks and No. 7 Huskies in Seattle is the first-ever meeting with both teams ranked in the top 10. Washington is a 3-point favorite on the SportsLine consensus. Click here for model picks.

It is the first game between Pac-12 teams both ranked in the top 8 of the AP Poll since the 2014 conference title game, when No. 3 Oregon beat No. 8 Arizona 51-13. At DraftKings, this is easily the most-wagered college football game of Week 7, but the split is pretty interesting with both Oregon and Washington in the among the five most popular teams at the book this week in both handle and tickets.

In one regard, it's no shock this is game is taking huge action considering the stakes. But it is surprising in a way, as the game features two very regional programs that don't really draw nationwide action like Alabama, Ohio State or Michigan. Oregon (a fairly national team, to be fair) and Washington will be joining the Buckeyes and Wolverines in the Big Ten next year, so Saturday could be the final meeting between the Ducks and Huskies as Pac-12 members.

They could meet in the conference title game, but the Pac-12 is truly loaded this year and the loser will have a very tough route to get there. Washington is currently the +200 league favorite, with Oregon at +210.

While the UW schedule eases up for a couple of games after this, their final four games are a slog: at No. 10 USC, vs. No. 16 Utah, at No. 15 Oregon State and vs. No. 19 Washington State in the final Apple Cup. Good luck running that table. Washington is +250 to make the College Football Playoff.

Oregon hosts No. 19 Washington State next week and still has major tests at No. 16 Utah, vs. No. 10 USC and vs. No. 15 Oregon State in the final Civil War. To make the CFP, Oregon is +260. The Ducks and Huskies are the only Pac-12 programs to ever get there.

If there weren't enough storylines already, the winning QB likely will get a boost (and the loser a hit) in the updated Heisman Trophy odds next week. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. is the +210 favorite and Oregon's Bo Nix is third at +600. USC's Caleb Williams is between them at +230. Seriously, if the Pac-12 was this loaded last year, it might never have broken apart despite USC and UCLA leaving for the Big Ten.

Washington ranks No. 1 in the nation in total offense at 569.4 yards per game. Penix leads the FBS in passing yards per game (399.8), and UW is 10-0 at home since the start of the 2022 season, winning by an average of 25.7 points per game. It has won four straight games overall vs. AP-ranked opponents.

Oregon ranks No. 2 in the nation in total offense at 557.8 YPG and is beating teams by an average of 39.8 PPG, the best in the FBS through five games since Ohio State in 2019. Nix leads the country in completion percentage at 80.4%. However, Nix is a career 0-6 against AP top 10 teams in road or neutral-site games dating to his Auburn days, with just two passing TDs and nine picks.

The Ducks have won five of their past six vs. top-10 foes overall (both wins last year were in Eugene) and has won seven of their eight trips to Washington, but the Huskies did pull off the upset 37-34 last year as 12-point dogs. Both Penix and Nix put up nice numbers.

Oregon is one of three teams this season unbeaten both straight up and against the spread, along with Oklahoma and Penn State.  This is a protected rivalry in the Big Ten, so they will continue to play annually.

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