College Football Picks Week 5: 32 Betting Trends You Need to Know for Saturday

Week 5 of the college football season kicks off Thursday night, and there's plenty of information that sports bettors need to know before Saturday's action. 

Favorites hold a slight 134-129-3 against-the-spread advantage, but are an even 27-27 ATS when taking the show on the road.

Let's take a look at 32 betting trends you need to know before heading to the sports book.

Texas A&M Aggies

The Texas A&M Aggies are currently 2.5-point neutral-site favorites against the Arkansas Razorbacks, which could prove troublesome for backers at the windows.

The program has fallen in defeat in all three games its played inside Cowboys Stadium while failing to cover the spread in eight tries on a neutral field.

Scary stuff—when laying points.

Arkansas Razorbacks

The Arkansas Razorbacks have proven victorious in 14 of their 15 regular season non-conference games during the Bobby Petrino era, including wins in 12 straight.

Bettors will find that the Razorbacks are 7-2 ATS versus Big 12 Conference competition.

Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Mississippi State Bulldogs evened their record at 2-2 with a 26-20 overtime win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs as 19.5-point home favorites.

Not exactly the performance you want to have before trying to beat Georgia in Athens for the first time since 1956.

Mississippi State is also just 1-9 all-time against Georgia inside Sanford Stadium.

Bettors will find that the Bulldogs are 1-5 ATS in their last six games as an underdog.

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs may have an even 2-2 record, but that doesn't mean they haven't been successful in playing well in the first 15 minutes.

Georgia has outscored opponents by a 44-7 margin in the first quarter this season, blanking its first two conference foes during the frame.

Bettors will find that the Bulldogs are 6-2 ATS in their last eight October contests.

Penn State Nittany Lions

The Penn State Nittany Lions will be playing their 19th Big Ten Conference opener Saturday, but that hasn't led to much success on the football field, surprisingly.

Penn State is 7-11 in such contests, including losses in its last two versus Iowa.

Bettors will find that the Nittany Lions haven't covered their last six contests overall.

Indiana Hoosiers

The Indiana Hoosiers will look to knock off the Penn State Nittany Lions for the first time in school history Saturday, dropping the first 14 meetings, including five in Bloomington.

Bettors will find that the Hoosiers are 1-4-1 ATS when playing host in this series.

Maybe this is the year.

Minnesota Gophers

The Minnesota Golden Gophers have fallen in defeat in 19 of their last 20 meetings against the Michigan Wolverines. 

Perhaps traveling to Ann Arbor will do the trick, as the road team is 5-1-1 ATS in the series.

Michigan Wolverines

Michigan Wolverines quarterback Denard Robinson has only passed for triple-digit yardage once this season, but he's led the team to scores in all 13 trips inside the red zone, including 12 touchdowns.

Bettors will find that the Wolverines are 0-6 ATS in their last six October contests.

Northwestern Wildcats

The Northwestern Wildcats have enjoyed solid success against the Illinois Fighting Illini, winning six of the last eight meetings, with an average margin of victory of 12.3 points in those victories.

Quarterback Dan Persa is likely to return to the field, which will likely improve the team's 11-2 ATS mark as a road underdog.

Do cats bark?

Illinois Fighting Illini

Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase doesn't get a lot of publicity, but he's proving to be quite an offensive player in the Big Ten Conference.

The sophomore has tossed 17 touchdowns and thrown just three interceptions in his last 11 games under center.

Bettors will find that the Fighting Illini usually crank it up in October, posting a 6-1 ATS mark in the month.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Texas Tech Red Raiders have to be pretty happy in starting Big 12 Conference play against the Kansas Jayhawks, as the program is 11-1 all-time in the series, with the only loss coming in the 2001 meeting.

Bettors may be a little hesitant to pull the trigger due to the team's 2-6-1 ATS in conference action.

Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks are led offensively by sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb, who is one of the more efficient players in the country.

He has completed 39-of-59 passes for 579 yards and six touchdowns while failing to throw an interception.

Bettors will find that the Jayhawks are just 11-23 ATS as a home underdog.

Air Force Falcons

The Air Force Falcons lead the country in gaining 411.7 yards per game on the ground while also holding a 26-17 lead in this series.

Bettors will likely jump out of the cockpit, as the program has dropped six consecutive in the series against the spread.

Navy Midshipmen

The Navy Midshipmen have really dominated the other Service Academies, posting a 16-1 record in such contests, with the only loss coming against Air Force Falcons in Colorado Springs last year.

Bettors will likely board the ship Saturday, as the Midshipmen are 11-1 ATS in their last 12 meetings with the Falcons.

Kentucky Wildcats

The Kentucky Wildcats are 5-0 when winning the turnover battle during head coach Joker Phillips' tenure.

Bettors will likely wager on them losing that battle in the Bayou Saturday, as the team is 0-6 ATS as a road underdog.

LSU Tigers

The LSU Tigers are 38-6 during the Les Miles era at Tiger Stadium, including 12 consecutive wins in front of the home faithful.

Bettors will find that the program is 1-5 ATS as a home favorite of 10.5 or more points.

Be careful.

Nevada Wolfpack

The Nevada Wolfpack will end a four-game road trip to start the 2011 season this Saturday, coming in with the nation's 15th-best offense.

Bettors will find that the program is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games versus Mountain West Conference foes.

Boise State Broncos

The Boise State Broncos are flat out dominating at Bronco Stadium, posting a 70-2 mark in front of the home fans since the start of the 2000 campaign.

Bettors will find that the team is 0-4 ATS in its last four home games versus losing competition.

Auburn Tigers

Auburn has tallied an 8-1-1 record against South Carolina, outscoring the Gamecocks by an incredible 286-139 combined score.

Bettors will also find that the Tigers are 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.

South Carolina Gamecocks

South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Steve Spurrier has compiled a 10-7 record against Auburn in his career, but none of those wins have come during his time in Columbia.

He has dropped all four meetings in this series while on the sidelines at South Carolina.

Bettors will find that the Gamecocks are 0-4 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points.

Baylor Bears

The Baylor Bears scored a 47-42 win over the Kansas State Wildcats last year, which stopped a streak of seven consecutive losses in the series, as the team was outscored by a significant 278-78 margin.

Bettors will find that the Bears are 2-5 ATS in the last seven meetings.

Kansas State Wildcats

The Kansas State Wildcats have been one of the more dominating home teams in college football over the past 20-plus campaigns, posting a ridiculous 113-26-1 record, including a 54-23-1 record when facing conference opponents.

Bettors may shy away from backing the Wildcats due to their 3-7 ATS mark as a home underdog.

SMU Mustangs

SMU Mustangs head coach June Jones is none for being an offensive mind, but his defense has been incredible over the last two games, allowing a combined 265 total yards.

The defensive unit hasn't allowed a touchdown in its last nine quarters.

Bettors will find that the "under"  is 15-7-1 in the Mustangs last 23 games as an underdog of 10.5 or more points.

TCU Horned Frogs

The TCU Horned Frogs enjoy one of the more dominating home fields in college football inside Amon G. Carter Stadium, bringing in a 22-game win streak at the venue Saturday.

It's been so dominant, the Horned Frogs have outscored their last 12 home opponents by an amazing 545-135 margin.

Bettors will find that the program is 49-24 ATS in its last 73 games in Fort Worth.

Michigan State Spartans

The Michigan State Spartans are a solid Big Ten Conference football team, but they're not Ohio State.

It's very clear in the fact that the program is 0-4 when opening conference play against the Buckeyes, including losses in three tries inside Ohio Stadium.

Bettors will find that the Spartans are also 1-5-1 ATS in the last seven meetings in the series.

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes are slight home favorites against the Michigan State Spartans despite not falling at home in this series since the 1998 campaign.

Bettors will love the Buckeyes 17-4 ATS record at home.

Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers are looking to become the first ACC team in history to win three consecutive weeks versus ranked opponents.

Bettors will likely fade them due to their 0-5 ATS mark in this series.

Virginia Tech Hokies

The Virginia Tech Hokies enjoy one of the greatest home-field advantages in college football when playing inside of Lane Stadium, posting a 119-31-1 mark under the direction of current head coach Frank Beamer.

Bettors have been cashing in on the Hokies during conference play as well, as the program is 40-15 ATS in such contests.

Ball State Cardinals

The Ball State Cardinals are 38-point road underdogs Saturday against Oklahoma, but the team will likely score some points.

The team has converted all 17 of its trips inside the red zone, which has resulted in 103 points on the scoreboard.

Bettors will like the Cardinals 13-4 ATS mark as a road underdog of 10.5 or more points.

Oklahoma Sooners

The Oklahoma Sooners have won 38-straight games inside Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, which has resulted in the program outscoring opponents by an impressive 1,682-564 margin.

Bettors will find that the Sooners are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games as a home favorite.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have been one of the better road teams nationally under head coach Bo Pelini, tallying a 11-4 mark in his three-plus seasons, with wins in nine of the last 10.

Bettors will find that the program is 10-3 ATS away from Lincoln when taking on teams that have a winning home record.

Wisconsin Badgers

The Wisconsin Badgers have arguably been the most impressive college football team over the last seven regular-season games, outscoring opponents by an average of 44.4 points a contest.

Fans at Camp Randall Stadium will also be cheering on a team that leads the Big Ten Conference in both scoring offense and defense.

Bettors have been backing this ATM machine for quite some time, as the Badgers are 10-0-1 ATS in their last 11 games overall.

Impressive stuff.