College Football Odds Week 9: Over-Under and Picks Against the Spread for Top 25
Week 9 of the 2021 college football season should provide plenty of excitement, and that will especially be the case in the Big Ten.
It's a huge weekend for the conference with two games featuring a pair of ranked teams. No. 6 Michigan is going on the road to take on No. 8 Michigan State in a huge rivalry clash, while No. 5 Ohio State looks to continue its push toward the College Football Playoff with a home matchup against No. 20 Penn State.
No. 9 Iowa will also be in action as a rare road underdog for its matchup at unranked Wisconsin.
There should be competitive games outside the Big Ten, too. Perhaps the most notable is an SEC showdown between No. 10 Ole Miss and No. 18 Auburn.
Here's a look at the full Top 25 schedule for Week 9, along with odds and against-the-spread picks for each matchup.
Week 9 Odds, Predictions for Top-25 Matchups
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Thursday, Oct. 28
Troy at No. 24 Coastal Carolina (-17.5); Over/Under 51.5 points
Saturday, Oct. 30
No. 2 Cincinnati (-25.5) at Tulane; O/U 61.5
No. 6 Michigan (-4) at No. 8 Michigan State; O/U 50
No. 9 Iowa at Wisconsin (-3.5); O/U 36.5
Texas at No. 16 Baylor (-3); O/U 61.5
Miami at No. 17 Pittsburgh (-9); O/U 62
No. 22 Iowa State (-7) at West Virginia; O/U 48.5
No. 1 Georgia (-14) vs. Florida; O/U 51
Texas Tech at No. 4 Oklahoma (-19); O/U 66.5
Colorado at No. 7 Oregon (-24); O/U 49
Duke at No. 13 Wake Forest (-16.5); O/U 70
No. 10 Ole Miss at No. 18 Auburn (-3); O/U 66
No. 12 Kentucky (-1) at Mississippi State; O/U 47
Kansas at No. 15 Oklahoma State (-30); O/U 55
No. 19 SMU at Houston (even); O/U 62.5
No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State (-18.5); O/U 59.5
North Carolina at No. 11 Notre Dame (-3.5); O/U 62.5
Virginia at No. 25 BYU (-3); O/U 64
Fresno State at No. 21 San Diego State (-1); O/U 44.5
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. Picks in bold against the spread.
Georgia Will Win Big Again in Jacksonville
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After a bye last week, the top team in the country will be back in action on Saturday. Georgia will look to improve to 8-0 when it faces Florida at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville. A rivalry series known as the "World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," the matchup was won by the Gators last year.
However, Florida will face a much tougher test this time. Georgia's defense ranks first in the nation in total yards allowed per game (208.3), touchdowns allowed (five) and points allowed per game (6.57). No other team is allowing fewer than 14 points per contest.
The Gators have lost three of their past five games, which has dropped them out of the AP Top 25 poll. So this rivalry matchup isn't likely to be nearly as competitive as it is some years.
With how dominant the Bulldogs have been, they should have no trouble shutting down the Gators and scoring more than enough points to clear the 14-point spread. At this point, it's safe to bet on Georgia to cover every week it plays an unranked team as it becomes a clear mismatch early.
Ohio State Should Cover Easily vs. Penn State
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In a span of three weeks, Penn State has fallen from No. 4 to No. 20 in the AP Top 25 poll. It lost at Iowa on Oct. 9, then had a bye. Upon their return, the Nittany Lions lost in nine overtimes at home against Illinois. And things aren't looking too promising for Penn State to get back on track this week.
Although Penn State has allowed 23 or fewer points in each of its first seven games, it may not be able to contain Ohio State's high-powered offense. The Buckeyes lead the nation with 49.3 points and 559.7 total yards per game, and they've dominated in Big Ten play.
Ohio State may not blow out Penn State the way it has other conference rivals such as Rutgers, Maryland and Indiana in recent weeks, but this game isn't likely to be close, either. The Buckeyes are a much better team than the Nittany Lions, which has been evident by their play of late.
Expect Ohio State to get rolling early and easily win by at least 19 points to cover the spread.
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Iowa Will Win as Road Underdog at Wisconsin
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Iowa may be the No. 9 team in the country, but it will be a 3.5-point underdog when it plays at Wisconsin on Sunday. Although the Hawkeyes are 6-1, they lost at home against unranked Purdue two weeks ago, which caused them to slide down the rankings heading into their bye.
If Iowa is going to bounce back, it will need to find a way to take down Wisconsin, which is on a three-game winning streak after notching victories against Illinois, Army and Purdue the past three weeks. The Badgers are now 4-3 after losing three of their first four games this year.
This should be a low-scoring matchup, and one that will be crucial for Iowa if it hopes to still contend for the Big Ten championship. Even though the Badgers are the favorite, they may have trouble slowing down Hawkeyes junior running back Tyler Goodson, who has 764 total yards over seven games.
It will be a close game, as the betting line indicates, but Iowa has enough talent to pull out a win as the slight underdog. The Hawkeyes will maintain their spot at the top of the Big Ten West with a victory.
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.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
