Nebraska vs. Oregon Prediction, Spread, NCAAF Picks – Saturday, October 17

Week 7 of the 2026 college football season concludes with a Big Ten showdown as the Nebraska Cornhuskers travel to Autzen Stadium to take on the Oregon Ducks.

Nebraska enters Saturday's matchup at 5-1 after suffering its first loss of the season, a heartbreaking 20-17 defeat against Indiana. Oregon, meanwhile, is 3-2 and looking to bounce back after a 17-15 home defeat to UCLA that saw the Ducks commit 7 turnovers.

Can QB Anthony Colandrea and the Cornhuskers capitalize on Oregon's QB uncertainty to pull off a statement road win, or will the Ducks regroup at home and get their season back on track?

Nebraska vs. Oregon kicks off at 11 p.m. ET on FOX from Eugene, Ore. Oregon enters the matchup as a 6.5-point favorite, with the total sitting at 51.5 points.

Below, we'll break down our Nebraska vs. Oregon prediction and picks for Saturday's college football game, including the winner, spread, over/under, and best player projections for PrizePicks.

Make your Nebraska vs. Oregon picks on PrizePicks now!

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Nebraska vs. Oregon Prediction, Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, October 17

Oregon enters Saturday's game as a 6.5-point favorite against Nebraska, returning a 1.36x payout if it wins outright.

Here are the full payouts for Nebraska vs. Oregon on PrizePicks.

Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Make your Nebraska vs. Oregon prediction on the spread or over/under on PrizePicks.

Nebraska's underlying numbers suggest the Cornhuskers are more than capable of competing with Oregon, even on the road. The Huskers rank 12th nationally in net adjusted EPA/play (0.28) and fifth in net EPA/play (+0.32). Their 49% offensive success rate also sits 25th, showing they can sustain drives.

Defensively, Nebraska has been well above average, though it has occasionally struggled to prevent explosive plays. Overall, it ranks 14th in net EPA/play (-0.11).

The Huskers could test the will of this Oregon offense, which is in the midst of one of its most inconsistent stretches in the HC Dan Lanning era. 

Oregon enters this one with a precarious situation under center at best. Starting QB Dante Moore (concussion) is still sidelined, and the Ducks are expected to turn to QB Brock Thomas after QB Dylan Raiola struggled against UCLA.

Thomas completed 8 of 11 passes for 156 yards and a TD against the Bruins, but Saturday will mark his first career start. Oregon went 1-for-13 on third down vs. UCLA, making offensive consistency a major question mark.

Nebraska vs. Oregon Prediction on Spread – 10/17/26

Here are the key stats and predictions behind our Nebraska vs. Oregon pick against the spread for Saturday, October 17.

Unless otherwise noted, data used in this article is from College Football Ratings, Gridiron & Wine, or PFF.

• Nebraska's defense has surrendered just 16.8 points per game and is 17th in net EPA/drive (-0.53) and seventh in defensive success rate (36.7%). The Ducks, meanwhile, are 37th (-0.16) and 50th (42.4%) in those two categories, respectively.
• Oregon's QB situation is difficult to overlook, especially with how deep the entire offense is in a rut right now.
• What makes it even harder for Oregon is that its run game has been virtually nonexistent. It's 121st in EPA/rush (-0.12), something the team simply cannot afford given it's on a third-string signal-caller.
• Both teams have been below average offensively at staying ahead of the chains, with Nebraska ranking 104th in average third-down distance and Oregon 80th.
• Defensively, though, Nebraska has done a much better job of forcing opponents into longer downs. The Huskers are 18th in average third-down distance (8.07 yards) compared to the Ducks, who are an abysmal 125th (6.07).

Lock in your Nebraska vs. Oregon prediction before Saturday's game.

Nebraska vs. Oregon Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks: 10/17/26

Here are two top Nebraska vs. Oregon player projections to consider for Saturday's Big Ten matchup. Today's college football picks for PrizePicks focus on QB Anthony Colandrea and RB Dierre Hill Jr.

Nebraska QB Anthony Colandrea vs. Oregon: 37.5 Rush Yards

• Colandrea has emerged as one of the Big Ten's most dangerous dual-threat QBs, rushing for 296 yards and 3 TDs on 55 carries. He's logged double-digit carries in four of six games.
• The recent production is especially encouraging. Colandrea rushed for 66 yards against Michigan State, 108 against Maryland, and 47 against Indiana. He surpassed 37.5 rushing yards in all three conference games.
• Oregon’s strong defensive pressure could actually help Colandrea’s rushing yardage. When passing lanes close, he can scramble for positive yardage instead of forcing throws into coverage.
• The Ducks allowed Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker to rush for 109 yards on 6 carries despite him being more of a pocket passer.

Add Anthony Colandrea + Nebraska to win to your PrizePicks lineup now.

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Oregon RB Dierre Hill Jr. vs. Nebraska: 16.5 Rec Yards

• Hill has recorded 184 receiving yards on 13 catches, averaging 14.2 yards per reception. He has the explosiveness to clear this modest line on potentially just a single grab.
• His receiving role gives Oregon another way to get the ball into space, especially with a questionable QB starting. Short throws to RB can help an inexperienced passer stay on schedule.
• The Ducks will be without two of their top receiving options in WR Jeremiah McClellan and WR Evan Stewart.
• Hill already produced a 105-yard receiving game against USC, catching 4 passes in a performance that demonstrated he can generate significant receiving yardage when Oregon gets him involved.
• If Oregon finds itself trailing, that'd lead to more dropbacks and opportunities for Hill to get receiving volume.

Add Dierre Hill Jr. + Oregon to cover the spread to your PrizePicks lineup now.

Make Nebraska vs. Oregon Picks on PrizePicks

Big Ten football takes center stage Saturday night as the Nebraska Cornhuskers travel to Eugene to face the Oregon Ducks.

Can Colandrea lead Nebraska to a big road win, or will Thomas rise to the occasion in his first career start and help Oregon bounce back at home?

Don’t wait until kickoff — make your Nebraska vs. Oregon picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

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