Fiesta Bowl 2021: Odds, Daily Fantasy Tips for Oregon vs. Iowa State
The 2021 Fiesta Bowl pits the FBS' second-best rusher against one of the more talented front sevens in the nation.
Iowa State running back Breece Hall will face one of his toughest challenges of the season trying to gain yards against Kayvon Thibodeaux and the Oregon Ducks.
The Cyclones are the higher-ranked team in Saturday's matchup, but Oregon possesses something that they do not have.
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Oregon enters State Farm Stadium as the Pac-12 champion. The Ducks replaced the Washington Huskies as the Pac-12 North representative and defeated the USC Trojans in the conference title game.
Iowa State can't claim a conference crown, but it can finish the campaign with nine wins and a spot in the Top 10 if it rides Hall and Brock Purdy to a New Year's Six bowl victory.
Fiesta Bowl Info
Date: Saturday, January 2
Start Time: 4 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app
Odds
Spread: Iowa State (-5)
Over/Under: 57.5
Moneyline: Iowa State -200 (bet $200 to win $100); Oregon +160 (bet $100 to win $160)
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.
Daily Fantasy Tips
Trust Breece Hall in Tough Matchup
Hall finished the regular season as the FBS' rushing leader, but he dropped to second after Sincere McCormick eclipsed him in the UTSA Roadrunners' bowl game.
The Iowa State sophomore needs 32 yards to reclaim the crown from McCormick, and he must gain 75 yards to be the nation's lone 1,500-yard rusher this season.
Hall recorded over 75 yards in each of his 11 appearances. He started the campaign with eight consecutive 100-yard performances.
Thibodeaux and freshman linebacker Noah Sewell will be tasked with limiting Hall's production. The Ducks held USC's two running backs to 65 rushing yards on 25 carries in the Pac-12 Championship Game.
Even though the matchup will be difficult, Hall should manage a decent yardage total because of the volume of touches he typically receives.
Hall averaged 5.9 yards per carry and earned 20 or more touches in nine contests. He also has scored in every start.
Iowa State's reliance on Hall, and his nose for the end zone, should make him the top must-start option in daily fantasy lineups for the Fiesta Bowl, or even a full Saturday slate contest.
Brock Purdy Carries Slight Edge Over Tyler Shough
Purdy and Tyler Shough can both hurt defenses in the two aspects of the offense.
Purdy wracked up 2,594 passing yards and totaled 22 touchdowns, four of which came on the ground.
In Oregon's shortened six-game slate, Shough added 263 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns to 1,480 passing yards and 13 scoring throws.
Iowa State's signal-caller had a better conference championship performance, as he produced 322 passing yards against the Oklahoma Sooners. Shough did not hit the 100-yard mark.
Both players have had some trouble with turnovers. Purdy was picked off three times in two separate games, while Shough has been intercepted in four of his six starts.
The difference between the two is Purdy's larger single-game totals. He had three 300-yard games and completed over 60 percent of his passes in the last six contests.
Shough has completed 53 percent of his attempts in each of the last two games and had 22 completions in that span. Purdy went 27-of-40 in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Purdy and Hall would be a nice backbone for any lineup, which would then require some lower-salaried players around them to land in prize-winning positions.
One name to consider for that role is Iowa State tight end Charlie Kolar, who leads the Cyclones with six touchdown catches.
Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.
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