Oregon Ducks vs. Texas Tech Sees Last-Minute Betting Odds Shift

The No. 5 Oregon Ducks vs. the No. 4 Texas Tech Red Raiders at the Orange Bowl always seemed primed to be a tight defensive battle. Despite the Ducks leading the betting odds across sportsbooks for much of the week heading into the matchup, many flipped to Texas Tech right before the game.

Multiple books shifted to the Red Raiders -1 or 1.5 within the final hour before kickoff. Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington hit a pair of first half field goals to take an early 6-0 advantage in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal, which put the betting odds back in the Ducks’ favor.

Late Betting Movement Prior to Kickoff

oregon ducks dante moore texas tech red raiders college football playoff linebackers ben roberts jacob rodriguez betting odds — Oregon quarterback Dante Moore speaks during the Oregon Ducks media day ahead of Orange Bowl on Dec. 30, 2025, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The stakes were high on New Year's Day, with the Orange Bowl winner set to head to the CFP semifinals. Some bettors had concerns about Oregon’s chances prior to the matchup. Despite the Ducks’ success this season, the Red Raiders came into the game as the higher seed with top-10 offensive and defensive units.

The bettors still had the Ducks as the favorite in the week leading up to game day. On New Year’s Day, however, Oregon’s odds gradually shifted. Right before kickoff, the odds flipped in Texas Tech’s favor.

The odds quickly flipped back in Oregon’s favor after the game began. The Ducks were -4.5 at halftime, per FanDuel, when leading 6-0. The under was 8-4 in the Ducks’ last 12 games against Big 12 opponents, while the under was 8-3 in the Red Raiders’ last 11 games.

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Red Raiders Defensive Front Holds Strong in First Half

Dante Moore tallied nearly 200 passing yards in the first half against a formidable Texas Tech defense, but the Ducks couldn’t score any touchdowns in the first half.

The Red Raiders made it difficult for Oregon’s run game to get going. The Ducks finished the first half with negative five rushing yards, including Moore going for negative 23.

The Ducks knew that Texas Tech’s front would be challenging. Linebackers Ben Roberts and Jacob Rodriguez combined for 19 tackles in the first half alone.

“These guys fly around. Starting with their front, they're as active as we've seen all season. Their linebackers are veteran and aggressive. Their back end is really good. So, I just say as a whole unit, you got really good players at every single position,” offensive coordinator Will Stein said.

“Schematically, they pose some issues and spots, but I think they just play with relentless effort,” he continued. “They attack the ball, they force fumbles, they pick the ball off. They just create a lot of pressure on the quarterback, too, with their edge pieces.”

Sappington converted on his two field goal attempts to gift the Ducks lead. While the Red Raiders halted Oregon’s first half endzone opportunities, the Ducks defense didn’t give much up either. Texas Tech finished the first half with 88 total yards and only three first downs. The Ducks also forced an interception and a fumble.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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