Updated Oregon vs. Liberty odds: Fiesta Bowl point spread
One of the last remaining non-College Football Playoff bowl games left is the VRBO Fiesta Bowl between Oregon and this year’s Group of 5 representative, the Liberty Flames.
According to our friends at DraftKings, the Ducks currently sit as 17-point favorites over Liberty. Oregon is also the hefty money line favorite and are running at -800 straight up, while the Flames have plenty of juice at +550. The over/under has been set at a pretty lofty 68 total points.
How to watch Oregon vs. Liberty
Time: Jan. 1 — 1 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Oregon is the big favorite here, as most power conference teams typically are against the group of five team that gets to go to a New Year’s Six bowl. However, those clubs from lower-tier conferences have strung together some wins in their NY6 appearances.
Tulane scored a win in their showing last season, toppling USC in perhaps the most exciting non-CFP bowl game of the season, winning 46-45 behind star QB Michael Pratt.
Cincinnati was the G5 representative the two years prior, and while the Bearcats didn’t win either game, they only lost to Georgia by three points and then became the first team outside of a power conference to make the College Football Playoff in 2021 — a landmark achievement for the Group of 5.
Then, dating back to the mid-2010s, the Group of 5 strung together three wins in four years at their New Year’s Six Bowl as Boise State and Houston picked up wins before UCF made consecutive appearances, once beating Auburn to cap off an undefeated 2017 season that some Knights fans still claim as a national title.
The Ducks do have the advantage that several other top teams haven’t — starting quarterback Bo Nix is playing, despite having no eligibility left after this. Unlike many QBs heading to the pros this spring, Nix wants to participate in one final game
He just better not go in thinking a game vs. Liberty will be a cake walk, since the Group of 5 teams of the past certainly showed they can compete with the big dogs.
It’ll Ducks vs. Flames to kick off a loaded New Year’s Day slate.