ESPN College Football Picks – Arizona St @ Oregon Odds and Predictions – Week 7 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 7 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Arizona St Devils @ Oregon Ducks 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on ABC Saturday 10/15/11: A pair of Pac-12 rivals will go head to head Saturday night when the 18th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (5-1) go on the road to face the ninth-ranked Oregon Ducks (4-1). The Sun Devils are the frontrunners in the conference’s South Division, while the Ducks hold the same status in the North Division. While Saturday’s matchup could be a preview of the Pac-12 Title Game, it could also have national title implications for Oregon. The Sun Devils are 14 ½-point underdogs, but an upset would thrust Arizona State into the BCS conversation.

Headlining the matchup is the status of Oregon running back LaMichael James. The Heisman candidate has topped 200 yards on the ground in three straight games, but he likely won’t play this weekend because of a nasty elbow injury suffered during last week’s win against California. The good news is that James won’t be out for the year, but there is no set timetable for his return or no guarantee how well he will perform following the injury. Considering James leads the nation in rush yard per game, his absence can’t be understated.

That being said, the Sun Devils will be in for a rude awakening if they think the Oregon offense will sputter without James. Backup running backs Kenjon Barner and De’Anthony Thomas have already shown their explosiveness at times this season, and while they haven’t had to shoulder the bulk of the carries yet, Chip Kelly’s spread-option system can put up points in bunches regardless of the personnel. Oregon is second in the country in points per game at more than 50 per contest, and with veteran QB Darron Thomas running the show, the offense should be just fine with or without James.

If the Sun Devils are going to win, they will have to keep pace on the offensive side of the ball. The play of quarterback Brock Osweiler will go a long way to determining whether or not the Arizona State offense is productive. He is averaging nearly 280 yards a game through the air, and the Sun Devils have four legitimate targets at receiver. The Oregon secondary does contain star cornerback Cliff Harris, but the unit hasn’t really been tested by a passing attack as potent as ASU’s. In particular, the Sun Devils will be able to take advantage of four-receiver sets to create some mismatches. If the game turns into a shootout, the Sun Devils have a chance.

While offense is the strength of both teams, the Oregon scoring attack has been the better unit all season. More importantly, the Ducks’ offense is more balanced than the Arizona State attack that hasn’t really been able to establish a consistent ground game. That being said, the Sun Devils can put points in the board, and with more than two touchdowns to spare, Osweiler and company can keep things respectable and cover the spread.

Prediction: Arizona State Sun Devils (+14 ½) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: Arizona St +14.5 to cover the spread

Stop by NSAwins.com daily throughout the NCAA Football season for daily Free College Football Picks and Vegas College Football Lines plus daily updated BCS National Championship Futures Odds.