An absolutely loaded schedule of top 25 college football action will kick off with Ohio State, Clemson and TCU all in action early on this Saturday. And that doesn’t even include what could be the Game of the Year with No. 1 Mississippi State set to go up against No. 5 Alabama in an SEC showdown with major implications.
We’ve rounded up the best games of the miss that you can’t miss. It should be a fun weekend for college football bettors.
#1 Mississippi State Bulldogs @ #5 Alabama Crimson Tide
When’s the last time you saw the top-ranked team in the nation posted as an 8.5-point road dog? That’s exactly the case in this one as the Bulldogs are getting more than a touchdown at Alabama this week. The underlying theme here is whether or not the Bulldogs are ready. They’ve experienced a lot of growth this season and have passed every test so far. But this is a team that hasn’t been in this type of position before and is on the road, facing a team that’s succeeded in this type of a situation many times.
Bettors are skeptical of the Bulldogs as they opened as a seven-point dog and the line has now climbed to 8.5. Take the Tide here and it could be a good spot for a teaser. Pick: Alabama -8.5
#9 Auburn Tigers @ #15 Georgia Bulldogs
It’s hard to quantify just how bad Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M was last week and now, they have to find a way to bounce back on the road as an underdog at Georgia. Whether or not the Tigers can mentally recover in time will be a storyline to watch.
Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are coming off a blowout win over Kentucky that should boost their confidence. It’s hard to bet Georgia against a team ranked as high as Auburn but home advantage and momentum will play a role in a close win. Pick: Georgia -2.5
#3 Florida State Seminoles @ Miami Hurricanes
Florida State is right there looking to pounce should Mississippi State falter but it’s important to remember past examples of teams that got ahead of themselves and ended up losing games they should have won in these types of situations.
Jimbo Fisher has to keep the Seminoles focused on taking care of business against a hungry Miami team that will relish the role of spoiler. The Hurricanes will likely find a way to hang around but Florida State has come through in some close calls already this season and Jameis Winston and company will find a way to do it again. Taking the Seminoles to cover less than a field goal in this situation seems like too good a value to pass. Pick: Florida State -1.5
#17 LSU Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks
LSU fell just short of another major SEC upset with a close loss to Alabama in overtime last week and yet they are still considered a slight underdog on the road this week. Arkansas is just 4-5 overall but 7-2 against the spread, so they are playing better than expected.
The early sentiment from bettors is that this could be a flat spot from LSU, which has swung the spread to make the Razorbacks a slight favorite. However, LSU has the better team and after a close call last week Les Miles will make sure they are prepared and focused on bouncing back. Pick: LSU +1
