Late Line Movement Shifts Oregon to 3.5-Point Favorite Over USC

Betting lines for the matchup between the No. 20 Oregon Ducks and No. 12 USC Trojans shifted in favor of Oregon hours before kickoff, as Sports Illustrated first reported. While the Ducks were listed as 2.5-point favorites on FanDuel earlier in the week, the line moved to 3.5 points by the morning of the game.

This movement is significant for the industry as it crosses a key betting number; a three-point victory for Oregon would have covered the initial spread but fails to cover at 3.5. The over/under for the game is set at 61.5 total points.

Injury reports are likely influencing the market. Sports Illustrated reports that USC wide receiver Trent Mosley was listed as doubtful on Friday, while defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart and safety Alex Graham were listed as questionable. Oregon is dealing with the loss of starting left guard Trent Ferguson to a season-ending injury and the absence of starter Jeremiah McClellan, who suffered a broken foot. Oregon tight ends Jamari Johnson and Andrew Olesh are listed as probable.

From an industry perspective, the stakes for Oregon are high. Sports Illustrated notes that a loss would drop the Ducks to 2-2 on the season and reduce their projected chances of making the College Football Playoff to seven percent.