No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon: 2023 Fiesta Bowl Best Bets

No. 23 Liberty vs. No. 8 Oregon: 2023 Fiesta Bowl Best Bets

It's bowl season in college football, and we are primed and ready for a great assortment of New Year's 6 games, including the Fiesta Bowl. This season, we will have Liberty taking on Oregon in what should be a fantastic matchup between two of the best teams in the country.

The Oregon Ducks are -16 favorites over the Liberty Flames in the 2023 Fiesta Bowl, which will be broadcast on ESPN at 1 p.m. ET at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix.

BetQL has you covered for everything college football, so let's dive right into this contest.

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Liberty vs. Oregon: Live Odds

Liberty Flames Outlook

The Flames finished up their season with a 49-35 victory over New Mexico State in the CUSA Championship game, which clinched their undefeated season at 13-0. Many people have not even seen Liberty play a game this season, mostly because they don't play in a power-five conference, but they will have their chance here to prove that they can compete with the big boys by taking on the Pac-12 juggernaut Oregon.

Even though they don't play the best competition, you shouldn't underestimate this Flames offense, which has been one of the best and most explosive units in the country. They rank third in the FBS in yards per play, averaging 7.2 every time they snap the ball, and most of that damage has been done on the ground. Superstar RB Quinton Cooley has arguably been the best at his position in college football, racking up 1,322 yards rushing and a whopping 16 touchdowns. He's a big reason why Liberty is the No. 1-ranked rushing offense in the nation, averaging a ridiculous 302.9 yards rushing per contest.

Defensively, they aren't as good as they are on offense, which would be hard to top. Still, they rank 61st in the country in yards per play allowed, letting up 5.4 yards each snap to their opponents. That's not a bad number and still ranks in the top half of college football. They have mostly done it by being very stingy on the ground, ranking 22nd in the country against the rush and allowing just 111.8 yards on the ground on average.

Oregon Ducks Outlook

The Ducks lost a heartbreaker to the Washington Huskies, 34-31, in the last Pac-12 championship game ever. They lost two games all year, and both of them were against the Huskies. While the Huskies had their number, no one else has been able to keep up with the incredible amount of talent that Oregon possesses. They were 9-2-1 ATS on the season, and most of their games were blowout victories.

Much of that has to do with how good this offense is, and it is very good. Oregon, much like Liberty, has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation. They rank second in the FBS in yards per play, one spot ahead of the Flames, averaging 7.7 yards every time they snap the ball. While Liberty has done most of its damage on the ground, the Ducks have done theirs through the air. They are ranked second in the country in passing, averaging 342.8 yards per game. QB Bo Nix is in the running for the Heisman Trophy but did take a hit with his loss to Washington. He's been fantastic, passing for 4,145 yards and 40 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

Defensively, they aren't as good as they are on offense but are still one of the better units in the nation. Oregon ranks 21st in yards per play allowed, letting up 4.8 yards every opponent snap. The good news for them is how strong they have been against the run, ranking 12th at stopping it and allowing just 97.5 per game. That will certainly be tested against the No. 1 rushing attack in the country.

Liberty vs. Oregon Best Bet

My Pick: Lean Liberty +16.5 (-115, BetMGM)

This will be the best team that Liberty has faced all season by a large margin, but I think they have the talent to keep it within two touchdowns against the Ducks. These are two of the best offenses in the country, one on the ground and one through the air.