College Football Week 7 Predictions: Odds & Best Bets

Following their road win over Alabama, the Georgia Bulldogs are the new No. 1 ranked team in the country and will look to avoid a letdown when they host Auburn in a key SEC matchup on Saturday. The former No. 1 team Texas was upset in the Cotton Bowl by Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry dropping them to No. 7. The Horns face another reeling team Florida, who dropped from the top 25 with consecutive losses by a total of 47 points. Two top 10 matchups headline the Week 7 college football schedule that includes six games between nationally ranked opponents.

NCAAF Today: Weekly College Football Schedule

Week 7 of the college football season is a busy one with at least two games on the schedule from Tuesday thru Saturday. The NCAAF betting week starts on Tuesday with a pair of C-USA matches. The biggest is FIU at Jacksonville State with both teams unbeaten in conference games. Two more C-USA games take place on Wednesday with three games each on Thursday and Friday.

The main event matchups take place on Saturday with a huge Big Ten battle between No. 4 Ohio State and No. 5 Indiana in Bloomington. IU rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Nebraska last week and struggled to beat Northwestern in Week 4. Early action is behind the Buckeyes, who opened as a 3.5-point NCAAF odds favorite. The other top 10 matchup pits No. 2 Notre Dame at No. 8 BYU. The Irish have won their six games by an average of 33 points and they are an early 10.5-point favorite on the college football betting line.

Biggest NCAAF Games Today

• Several matchups between ranked foes standout as the biggest games on the Week 7 college football schedule. Not only are Ohio State and Indiana among the top 5 they are also two of three 3-0 teams in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers ended a long losing streak to OSU with a 13-10 win in last season’s Big Ten Championship.
• BYU can pad its resume with a signature win over Notre Dame in primetime on Saturday. The Irish have dominated every opponent this season and are coming off a 58-7 win over Stanford where they covered the massive 40.5-point betting line.
• It looks like Miami will carry the torch for the ACC. The only undefeated team in the league, No. 3 Miami comes off a bye to face rival Florida State where they are positioned as a 3-touchdown favorite on the NCAAF odds.

NCAAF Scores Today

• The bye allowed Miami to climb the stat rankings to No. 1 in scoring offense with 49.6 points per game. On Saturday we could see NCAAF scores today soar with the Canes facing a Florida State defense that ranks 83rd nationally in scoring defense.
• One of the worst defenses in college football has Louisiana-Monroe riding a 13-game losing streak. ULM is dead last in the FBS allowing nearly 45 points per game and takes on Louisiana Tech which has cashed the OVER in all five games this season behind an offense that averages more than 35 points. 
• West Virginia has the perfect recipe for running up NCAAF scores today. WVU scores a lot of points (36.3 ppg) and also surrenders a bunch (32.7) allowing the Mountaineers to cash the OVER on the NCAAF odds in all six games.

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NCAAF Odds for This Week

Following a chaotic week that saw three top 10 teams lose, opening NCAAF lines have surfaced with several prominent road teams favored by sportsbooks in the biggest games on the Week 7 schedule. Ohio State (-3.5), Notre Dame (-10.5), Alabama (-7.5) and Missouri (-6) are all laying points in tough road environments. Of all the ranked teams in action this week, Miami has the biggest spread giving rival Florida State 21-points on the NCAAF odds.

How to Read NCAAF Betting Lines

• Reading NCAAF betting lines requires understanding of three main types of wagers; the point spread, moneyline and the total (over/under). 
• The spread is designed to even the playing field between two unequal teams. The minus (-) sign indicates the favorite with the team needing to win by more than that number to win the bet. The underdog is shown with a plus (+) sign. They can with the game outright or lose by fewer points than the number to cash a winning ticket.
• The moneyline is a straight bet on the game winner. There is no point spread, but the payouts are adjusted based on who’s expected to win. The minus (-) number is the amount you must risk to profit $100. The plus (+) number is the amount of profit on a $100 wager.
• The total is a bet on the combined number of points scored regardless of who wins the game. If the teams score more than the set number the OVER wins. If fewer points are scored than the number the UNDER is a winner.

NCAAF Lines Movement to Watch

• There are several factors that will trigger movement on the NCAAF betting lines. Roster announcements prior to the game are a big reason and once into the season injuries to key players become a major factor.
• Public perception has hit Miami hard. Last we saw the Canes they were blasting Clemson on the road and after a bye they have gotten plenty of action for their rivalry match with Florida State. Miami opened -16 with the number already climbing to -21 and possibly even higher.
• The total for the matchup between Kentucky and Oklahoma opened at a defensive 43.5. With Kentucky’s heavy ground game and OU’s imposing defense the number could be pushed down a few points.

NCAAF Predictions for This Week

We’ve seen just how unpredictable college football is. Another wacky week saw ranked teams lose and several close games that weren’t decided until the very end. One big question entering Week 7 is can Texas and Alabama rebound from devastating setbacks. In addition, how do teams like UCLA, Kentucky, Northwestern and Wake Forest handle their new found success? Early NCAAF predictions lean toward road favorites and powerful offensive teams.

NCAAF Game Predictions

• Facing the vaunted Buckeyes at home as an underdog will certainly get Indiana fired up. The Hoosiers haven’t dominated, rather they’ve found ways to win by being resilient. I’ll take IU and the points, but I don’t think I’ll need them.
• College football analysts are predicting a bounce back effort from Alabama after a tough home loss to Georgia. Look for the Tide to force Tennessee’s unstable quarterback situation into several mistakes and Keelon Russell and the offense to take over from there. 
• BYU might be the toughest opponent yet for Notre Dame, but the talent gap is wide giving the Irish the edge in this primetime matchup. Led by C.J. Carr Notre Dame is strong and balanced on offense. They hang defenses out to dry, wear them down, and clobber them with an avalanche of points. NCAAF predictions have Notre Dame covering the 10.5-point 

Upset Watch for This Week

• LSU has weaknesses that were exposed by Kentucky last week. The defense has severe cracks and must try and slow Mississippi State’s fast-tempo offense that can match LSU score for score. Early money is backing MSU to cover the 11.5-point NCAAF odds spread with a real chance for winning outright if they catch a few breaks.
• An upset win over Texas didn’t suddenly change Oklahoma into a powerhouse. The Sooners got a defensive and special teams score and frustrated Arch Manning. In my opinion the OU -7 NCAAF odds are high against a quality UK squad.

NCAAF Picks and Best Bets

Early NCAAF best bets for Week 7 of the college football season focus on highly anticipated conference matchups like the top 5 Big Ten showdown between Ohio State and Indiana, bounce back opportunities for clubs that were upset last week and key betting lines. Five other games on the slate have ranked teams playing each other with huge implications in the Big 12 between one-loss teams Oklahoma State and Houston.

Best NCAAF Spread Picks

• Indiana has found ways to win taking a perfect 6-0 record into their game with Ohio State. However, the Buckeyes have revenge on their minds after losing last season’s Big Ten title game. OSU’s defense is capable of squelching Indiana’s run game and the duo of Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith will score enough to cover the short 3.5-point NCAAF line.
• Staying in the Big Ten, projection models favor Penn State to keep the score close in their matchup with Michigan. The game lost its luster with PSU losing its last three games, but Michigan’s stagnant offense puts the Nittany Lions as a NCAAF best bet at +6.
• After starting the season with four straight wins, Florida has slipped mightily losing its last two by a combined 47 points. Laying 10 points at home Texas and Arch Manning are poised for a bounce back and they recover.

Best NCAAF Over/Under Picks

• Oklahoma has to feel energized after its big upset win over Texas and will carry that momentum into a showdown with No. 15 Kentucky. The Wildcats won their last two games allowing 34 points in each and the defense is broken giving OU a chance to pick up the pace. UK can score making this a top NCAAF pick to go OVER the 43.5 point total.
• Despite all the offensive fireworks Georgia can still play defense. The Dawgs held Alabama to 17 points last week and will have to contain Auburn’s run-heavy scheme. That tactic will also limit possessions helping this game go under the total of 49.5 points.

NCAAF Best Bets This Week

• With Kentucky’s defense seriously impacted by injuries to several key players, the matchup with Oklahoma is a prime NCAAF best bet to go OVER 43.5 points. OU’s offense has struggled and it took a defensive and special teams score to upset Texas. But the Sooners have weapons capable of exploiting a defense that has surrendered a lot of points when it had healthy players. 
• As the scores get higher the game totals also increase. Colorado State and Texas State both allow more than 32 points per game to rank among the worst nationally. The total for their Thursday night matchup sits at a lofty 69.5 points with the teams going a combined 9-1 against the OVER. The Rams changed their D coordinator and inspired play on that side of the football will keep this game from reaching the high number.

NCAAF Futures Market Update

Following a hectic Week 6 that featured several upsets, Ohio State and Notre Dame lead the NCAAF futures odds to win the national championship. Georgia upset Alabama on the road and their odds tumbled slightly, yet the Dawgs are currently the third favorite on the board. The latest college football odds shifted dramatically after top contenders Texas, LSU and Oregon suffered costly setbacks.

National Championship Futures

• Ohio State +370
• Notre Dame +450
• Georgia +480
• Miami (FL) +750
• Alabama +850
• Texas +950
• Indiana +1000
• Ole Miss +2200
• LSU +3000
• Oklahoma +5000

Heisman Trophy Futures

Following another stat-filled week with two touchdown receptions, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has broken free from the Heisman Trophy NCAAF futures odds pack making the race a battle for second-place. Smith faces a tough Indiana defense and if Josh Hoover can orchestrate an upset the landscape of the race can change.

• Jeremiah Smith -210
• Darian Mensah +1000
• CJ Carr +1200
• Trinidad Chambliss +1300
• Gunner Stockton +1400
• Keelon Russell +2000
• Julian Sayin +4000
• Drew Mestemaker +4000
• Kamario Taylor +5500
• Josh Hoover +5500

Final NCAAF Betting Thoughts

The betting outlook for Week 7 of the college football season focuses on three blockbuster top 25 matchups that could reshape the College Football Playoff picture and impact the Heisman Trophy NCAAF futures odds. While the public is backing Ohio State, many experts see undefeated home underdog Indiana as a top NCAAF pick catching 3.5-points. It’s a good strategy to monitor teams coming off emotional wins, especially UCLA and Georgia, who are candidates to experience a slow start in their Week 7 games. Analysts recommend locking in early key numbers before public weekend volume forces NCAAF lines to move.