There is no doubt about which game is the headliner in Week 13.
“College GameDay” is in Eugene for USC at Oregon, and there’s no other game on the slate with higher stakes. The winner of this battle between former-Pac-12-now-Big-Ten rivals will be on its way to the College Football Playoff, while the loser will tumble out of contention.
The bookies clearly believe that this is Oregon’s game to lose, but USC has the ceiling to cause a ruckus as a 9.5-point underdog on Saturday afternoon.
USC vs. Oregon odds, prediction
Oregon’s season has unfolded without much fuss. A loss to Indiana at home was shocking at the time, but it now looks like a very forgivable defeat. What isn’t as easy to ignore is how the Ducks have fared against some other teams this year.
Oregon needed a last-gasp field goal to beat Iowa, wasn’t all that convincing at home against Wisconsin, and needed overtime to beat Penn State, a result that hasn’t aged well at all.
The Ducks did beat up on some of the cannon fodder in their way, like Oregon State, Oklahoma State, and Rutgers, but there have been more hiccups for this team than it would seem just by looking at their 9-1 ledger.
Oregon’s statistical profile looks characteristically terrific, but it’s also worth remembering that they’ve had a pretty easy schedule compared to other Power 4 programs. The Ducks did a lot of damage against some pretty bad teams in 2025.
USC’s schedule hasn’t been much tougher, but the Trojans do have some notable wins against Michigan, Iowa, and Nebraska to hang their hats on. Losses at Illinois and Notre Dame are not resume-killers, but a third defeat, no matter the opponent, would end all hope of a USC playoff berth.
Oregon’s defense grades out as one of the best in the country, but the Ducks have only faced one true test this season. And they failed.
Indiana didn’t light up the Ducks, but the Hoosiers dropped 30 points on the road and ripped off nearly 4.8 yards per play, which is almost a full yard more than what Oregon averages on defense.
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USC’s offense leads the country in yards per play, and it certainly can make the Ducks look ordinary on Saturday afternoon.
Oregon is right to be favored here, but there are feasible paths to victory for USC on Saturday.
Jump on the bandwagon before it gets too late.
The Play: USC +9.5 (-110, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
