College Football Betting Odds Week 7: Picks Against the Spread for Top 25 Schedule

A strong defense could be the key to earning key wins in the Big Ten in Week 7 of the college football season.

The Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions come into Saturday with two of the best defenses in the FBS.

Both of the top-five squads can benefit from their strong defensive units to pull away a pair of Big Ten newcomers.

The Oregon Ducks are just one spot behind Ohio State in the AP Top 25, but they feel like the true underdog in the No. 2-versus-No. 3 clash in Eugene.

The USC Trojans are in full recovery mode ahead of their home contest against Penn State after losing to the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Life in the Big Ten has been difficult for USC so far, and that could continue on Saturday afternoon.

A handful of Top 25 programs will use Saturday as a bounce-back spot to spring ahead into the second half of the regular season.

The Alabama Crimson Tide need a bounce-back win more than any of the teams that suffered defeats in Week 6. They should get that versus the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Week 7 Top 25 Schedule and Odds

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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 05: Eli Holstein #10 of the Pittsburgh Panthers looks to pass against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium on October 05, 2024 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Friday, October 11

No. 16 Utah (-5.5) at Arizona State (10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Saturday, October 12

South Carolina at No. 7 Alabama (-21) (Noon ET, ABC)

No. 10 Clemson (-20.5) at Wake Forest (Noon ET, ESPN)

No. 21 Missouri (-27) at Massachusetts (Noon ET, ESPN2)

No. 1 Texas (-14) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

No. 4 Penn State (-3.5) at USC (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)

Stanford at No. 11 Notre Dame (-23) (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

California at No. 22 Pittsburgh (-3) (3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Purdue at No. 23 Illinois (-22) (3:30 p.m. ET. BTN)

Arizona at No. 14 BYU (-3) (4 p.m. ET, Fox)

Mississippi State at No. 5 Georgia (-34) (4:15 p.m. ET, SEC Network)

Florida at No. 8 Tennessee (-14.5) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 2 Ohio State (-3) at No. 3 Oregon (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

No. 9 Ole Miss (-3.5) at No. 13 LSU (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)

No. 11 Iowa State (-3.5) at West Virginia (8 p.m. ET, Fox)

No. 18 Kansas State (-3.5) at Colorado (10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)

No. 17 Boise State (-20.5) at Hawai'i (11 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)

No. 2 Ohio State (-3) at No. 3 Oregon

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COLUMBUS, OHIO - OCTOBER 05: Quarterback Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes hands the ball off to running back TreVeyon Henderson #32 of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Ohio Stadium on October 05, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)

Ohio State ranks first in scoring defense and total yards allowed per game.

The Buckeyes also rank in the top five in rushing and passing yards conceded per contest.

Ryan Day's team does not do much wrong on the defensive side of the ball, which is why it should be well equipped to go into Eugene and get the win.

Of course, there's always the argument out there that Ohio State padded its defensive stats against weaker opposition, but the consistency in strong defensive performances has to count for something.

The Buckeyes offense is no slouch either with a tremendous running back tandem in Quinshon Judkins and Treveyon Henderson and a freshman sensation at wide receiver in Jeremiah Smith.

The offensive key on Saturday may be Emeka Egbuka. The veteran wide out has been a force in some of Ohio State's biggest games in the last two years. He could be a vital outlet for Will Howard to find in crucial situations.

Oregon's offense has plenty of talent as well, but the mistakes made last week by quarterback Dillon Gabriel are still fresh in everyone's minds.

Gabriel had two red-zone interceptions against the Michigan State Spartans. Those types of mistakes can't happen against the top FBS defense.

All three of Gabriel's interceptions have come in the last two weeks, and while the mistakes can be cleaned up, he will be targeted by a tough Ohio State front seven that could force him into a handful of bad throws.

A loss may not mean much for either team in the context of the College Football Playoff. In fact, there's a good chance that if Ohio State beats Penn State on November 2 that the Buckeyes and Ducks do this all over again in the Big Ten Championship Game.

No. 4 Penn State (-3.5) at USC

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UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - OCTOBER 05: Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) passes the ball during a college football game against the UCLA Bruins on October 5, 2024 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Penn State's defense is as dominant as Ohio State's unit.

The Nittany Lions rank inside the top five in most key defensive stats ahead of their trip to Los Angeles.

The No. 4 team in the country conceded 18 points over the last three games, a strong reaction to a 27-point concession against the Bowling Green Falcons in Week 2.

Penn State was already tested on the road at West Virginia in Week 1, so there should not be much concern if the defense will travel well.

USC has been punched in the face by hard-nosed Big Ten football in two of its last three games.

The Michigan Wolverines ran for 290 yards and used a run-first fourth-quarter drive to pull off the win in Ann Arbor on September 21.

Minnesota averaged 4.8 yards per carry last week against the Trojans, a bad sign for how USC will deal with the Nick Singleton-Kaytron Allen duo.

Singleton and Allen are both averaging over five yards per carry and they are supported by a quarterback in Drew Allar who has nine touchdown passes and a single interception so far this season.

The Nittany Lions should dictate the possession battle and get a few big plays out of Allar, but even if the offense is slowed down, the defense is more than capable of getting stops or forcing Miller Moss into a turnover or two.

A win would set Penn State up for a potential clash of the unbeaten squads in Happy Valley with Ohio State on November 2 for a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game.

South Carolina at No. 7 Alabama (-21)

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NASHVILLE, TN - OCTOBER 05: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) during a game between the Vanderbilt Commodores and Alabama Crimson Tide, October 5, 2024 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

No team needs a bounce-back win more than Alabama.

The Crimson Tide have to take out all their frustration from the loss to the Vanderbilt Commodores and re-focus for the rest of the SEC campaign.

Unfortunately for South Carolina, it is the team that comes into Tuscaloosa to be handed a likely blowout loss.

South Carolina fell 27-3 to the Ole Miss Rebels at home last week, so that could be a sign of things to come against Bama.

Jalen Milroe and Co. can't afford another close game with the Tennessee Volunteers next up in Week 8.

A first-half spread bet on Bama may be a better play than the full-game spread because we all expect the Crimson Tide to come out with a point to prove.

Bama should cover the three-touchdown full-game spread as well. South Carolina showed last week it couldn't compete with a top-tier SEC team and the opponent only gets tougher in Week 7.

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