- No. 1 Oregon is a 16-point favorite over No. 23 Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl
- Heisman finalist Bo Nix will play his final game with the Ducks after compiling 46 total TDs this season
- The game kicks off from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ on Jan. 1 at 1 pm ET
Oregon entered the Pac-12 championship game with Washington with a chance to capture a College Football Playoff berth and a Heisman Trophy for quarterback Bo Nix. But after suffering its second loss to the Huskies this season, the Ducks will instead face Liberty on New Year’s Day.
One of only four undefeated teams in the FBS, the Flames will be making their first New Year’s Six bowl appearance. Before we look at the line one the Fiesta Bowl, check out our 2023-24 College Football Betting Resources and get the Best College Football Bowl Odds.
Oregon vs Liberty
Spread | Money Line | Total Points | |
Liberty | +16.0 (-105) | +500 | Ov 65.5 (-115) |
Oregon | -16.0 (-1115) | -650 | Un 65.5 (-105) |
Nix set to suit up
Bo Nix led the nation in passing touchdowns (40) and completion percentage (77.2) while throwing for more than 4,000 yards with only three interceptions. Nix entered the Pac-12 title game as the Heisman Trophy favorite. But while he performed admirably (239 passing yards, 3 TDs, INT), he was knocked off by Michael Penix Jr. and the Huskies for the second time this season.
The senior quarterback will suit up for the Ducks one last time in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon (11-2) is 2-1 all-time in the Fiesta Bowl, losing their most recent appearance to Iowa State on Jan. 2 2021.
Among the elite.
Bo Nix has been named a 2023 Heisman Trophy Finalist. #GoDucks pic.twitter.com/NRP6LSMue1
— GoDucks (@GoDucks) December 4, 2023
Liberty runs wild
Liberty (13-0) defeated New Mexico State 49-35 in the Conference USA title game to stay unbeaten and become the first CUSA champion to clinch a New Year’s Six bid in the CFP era. While Jamey Chadwell’s squad played one of the weakest schedules in the nation, they obliterated teams on the ground.
The Flames have the nation’s top-ranked rushing offense, averaged 302.9 yards per game. In their latest two wins over UTEP and New Mexico State, they racked up 441 and 393 yards, respectively, on the ground.
Ducks vs Flames
Oregon is a massive 16-point favorite at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ with the over-under set at a supercharged 65.5 points. The Ducks averaged 44.2 points per game this season. While they’ll be missing running back Bucky Irving, sophomore Jordan James should be a respectable fill in.
Averaging 40.8 points per game, Liberty is well-suited to keep Bo Nix’s high-powered attack off the field. Junior running back Quinton Cooley finished top-ten nationally in both rushing yards (1,322) and rushing TDs (16). Flames QB Kaidon Salter also added 1,064 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
2023 CUSA Football Most Valuable Player 🏈
Kaidon Salter (@07ksalt), @LibertyFootball#NoLimitsOnUs | https://t.co/uUyFiNlYn7 pic.twitter.com/lgncBZgEnq
— Conference USA (@ConferenceUSA) December 6, 2023
Bowl history
Liberty is playing in its fifth consecutive bowl game since joining Division 1. They are 3-1 all-time in bowl games. Meanwhile, Oregon has a 16-20 record in bowl games. This is the Ducks final season in the Pac-12 before leaving for the Big Ten next year.
Best Bet
Sixteen points is a massive spread considering Liberty has the nation’s third-best offense (514.9 YPG), averaging 40.8 points per game. While we like Bo Nix to lead the Ducks to victory (-650), we’ll take the Flames to cover (+16) with the OVER 65.5.
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