Some heated rivalries take center stage as Week 6 of the college football season heads our way. And it’s a busy week with at least one game every Tuesday through Saturday. The headline bout of the week takes place in Tuscaloosa with a top 10 showdown between undefeated SEC rivals No. 2 Georgia and No. 6 Alabama.
One other game between nationally ranked foes takes place in the Big Ten with UCLA visiting Oregon. Following a bye last week No. 1 Texas gets prepared for the Red River Rivalry with Oklahoma. The Horns opened as a 9.5-point favorite on the NCAAF betting line.
NCAAF Today: Weekly College Football Schedule
Week 6 of the college football season is a busy one with games starting on Tuesday, but the mouth-watering contests take place on the traditional Saturday schedule. The week starts with the Sun Belt Conference opener for Southern Miss and Troy on Tuesday followed by a C-USA twin bill on Wednesday. Two top 20 teams are in action on Friday night with No. 20 Iowa travelling to Washington in a Big Ten clash and No. 8 BYU hosting Iowa State in a Big 12 contest.
You can throw out the records and stats when Texas and Oklahoma meet in the Red River Rivalry. Both teams had a bye last week and should be well rested for this intense matchup. There were rumblings over the status of Sooners QB John Mateer, who has turned the ball over six times in three games. The OU offense is averaging just 12 points in its last three games. Early NCAAF odds have Texas as a 9.5-point favorite. Alabama opened as a slim college football odds favorite, laying 1.5-points for their SEC matchup with Georgia.
Biggest NCAAF Games Today
- Two surprising teams in the Big Ten get a chance to show they’re for real in Week 6. UCLA entered the national ranking after starting the season 4-0. The Bruins scored more than 50 points winning their first two league games and travel to face Oregon. The Ducks are also coming off a bye and are an 11.5-point NCAAF odds favorite.
- I’m not sure anyone had Nebraska undefeated and tied for the Big Ten lead after five games. The Huskers have a huge test Saturday taking on No. 7 Indiana in easily their toughest game of the season. For the first time all season IU is laying less than 20 points on the NCAAF odds with the Huskers getting 9.5 on the early line.
- Easily the biggest game of the week is the top 10 confrontation in the SEC between Georgia and Alabama. Two of the highest scoring teams in the FBS go at it averaging more than 100 points between them. The total opened at 56.5 points.
NCAAF Scores Today
- Alabama and Georgia have cashed the OVER in all five of their games. That tends to happen when averaging around 50 points an outing. Both clubs have retained their defensive intensity making it likely we see NCAAF scores today slightly lower than in past weeks.
- The UCLA at Oregon tilt has the making of a track meet with both teams averaging more than 44 points per game. And with both coming off a bye they had ample time to prepare. Four of the last five meetings have gone OVER the total and this one is headed in the same direction.
- Nevada has a good chance to end its three-game losing streak taking on UTEP on Saturday. The Miners have one of the worst scoring defenses in college football allowing nearly 49 points per game in their last three. The Wolf Pack can end their skid with an emphatic offense performance in the NCAAF scores today.
NCAAF Odds for This Week
We’re seeing some tight point spreads in critical games this week. After dominating Florida the Missouri Tigers look to avoid a letdown at home against Texas AM. Mizzou hit the board as a 4.5-point NCAAF betting favorite. The key matchup has Alabama as a slight home favorite against Georgia, but look for that line to move around before we get to kickoff. Two ranked teams are giving more than 30 points on the early Week 6 NCAAF odds; No. 3 Notre Dame -37.5 against Stanford and No. 5 Ohio State -34.5 vs. Maryland.
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.
- Texas opened at -8.5 with early public backing and OU’s offensive struggles driving the line up to -9.5. Quarterback issues with the Sooners and OU’s defense tangling with Arch Manning could push it higher.
- Most bettors thought the opening total of 49.5 in the LSU at Kentucky matchup was too low and the markets reacted. Heavy early action made this one of the most volatile lines with the total quickly rising to its current number of 54.5.
- Coming off a bye Ole Miss opened at -9.5 against Vanderbilt with early betting volume sending the Rebels past the key number of 10 to -10.5.
NCAAF Predictions for This Week
After another wild slate of games that saw three ranked teams lose by 17 points or more, we’re at it again in Week 6. Of course those three losing teams all lost to other ranked foes, but there was a big divide. The Week 6 schedule is headlined by two of the biggest rivalries in college football with Georgia at Alabama and Texas vs. Oklahoma. Early NCAAF predictions point to defensive dominance and tight margins for the week’s biggest games.
NCAAF Game Predictions
- The powerhouse SEC matchup between Georgia and Alabama should be a good one. Both teams have dominated offensively while also being their stout defensive selves. Bama is coming off a big road win over previously unbeaten Mississippi State silencing Kamario Taylor. NCAAF predictions have the Tide closing out a tight home win.
- The SEC has another big rivalry game with Texas facing Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl. There are too many questions about OU’s offense, which has stumbled in recent weeks, though the defense has been strong. That has experts trending toward the UNDER on NCAAF predictions.
- The stage is set for Nebraska to pull off one of the biggest wins in recent history. The Huskers will get tested against Indiana’s attack, but they are up for the challenge at home. I believe this game will be closer than most expect with Nebraska staying within the 9.5-point opening NCAAF betting line.
Upset Watch for This Week
- UCLA is unbeaten and averaging more than 44 points per game. They recently entered the national rankings but are getting little respect around the Big Ten and the country. Coach Bob Chesney has the team operating at a high level with a diverse attack. The fifth-best ground game will keep Oregon’s offense off the field giving UCLA an upset chance.
- Kentucky showed heart coming back from a 17-0 deficit to beat South Carolina in overtime last week. LSU is the heavy 9.5-point NCAAF odds favorite, but taking advantage of turnover-prone Sam Leavitt and feeding off the home energy will shrink the big line.
NCAAF Picks and Best Bets
Early NCAAF best bets for Week 6 of the college football season focus on crucial rivalry conference matchups like Georgia at Alabama and the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma. Georgia and Bama are two of the highest scoring teams in the country but experts foresee a game where defense makes the final stand. UGA opened as a 2.5-point road favorite with the line jumping the fence in favor of Alabama -1.5 for this battle of unbeatens.
Best NCAAF Spread Picks
- Iowa is in a tough spot heading to Seattle for a Friday night game after getting humbled at home by Ohio State. The offense has been inconsistent and the run game nearly non-existent giving Washington the advantage to cover the short 2.5-point spread.
- Alabama’s defense did a good job against Kamario Taylor and the potent Mississippi State offense last week, registering five sacks in the 56-23 win. And they were sharp on offense with Keelon Russell directing the show. Keeping Gunner Stockton in check will help the Tide cover the slim NCAAF line at home.
- Oklahoma had an extra week to work out issues on offense. With his job in jeopardy, look for John Mateer to respond while the defense does its job keeping Arch Manning in check. This rivalry has been historically tight and backing OU to stay within 10 points is a NCAAF best bet.
Best NCAAF Over/Under Picks
- Tennessee’s defense eliminated explosiveness last week against Auburn and also earlier against Texas. The group allowed just 43 points in the past three games and faces an Arkansas squad that scored just seven points last week. The Hogs will try and shorten the game leading to a NCAAF pick on the UNDER 50.5.
- Alabama and Georgia have used explosive offenses to each go 5-0. UGA leads the nation averaging 51.4 points while the Tide are second with 49.6 points per outing. Good stop units threaten the scoring, but the pace and deep-ball efficiencies will turn this into a track meet with the OVER 55.5 a smart play.
NCAAF Best Bets This Week
- This is just an awful spot for Iowa having to travel to the Pacific Northwest for a short-week game after getting trounced by Ohio State. Washington nearly upset USC last week and showed a defense that could easily stop Iowa’s punchless attack. That will allow the Huskies to easily cover the 2.5-point spread as a NCAAF best bet.
- After routing Rutgers many analysts feel Indiana is overvalued with an inflated line for their matchup with Nebraska. The Huskers have yet to lose behind the stellar play of Anthony Colandrea and the fiery crowd in Lincoln will help Nebraska stay within the 9.5-point NCAAF line.
NCAAF Futures Market Update
Following Week 5 action Ohio State remains the NCAAF futures odds favorite to win the national championship. However, like it’s been all season, the top of the board is tight with Georgia surging up after a decisive victory over Vanderbilt. Alabama also shot up the board with the shortest national championship odds they’ve had all season, thanks to a massive win over previously unbeaten Mississippi State.
National Championship Futures
- Ohio State +430
- Georgia +500
- Notre Dame +550
- Texas +650
- Miami (FL) +800
- Alabama +900
- Indiana +1000
- LSU +16000
- Oregon +2200
- Ole Miss +3000
Heisman Trophy Futures
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith solidified his position as the Heisman Trophy NCAAF futures odds favorite dropping to negative money with another explosive performance. Smith caught 11 balls for 206 yards and a pair of TDs in a 31-14 win over Iowa. Afterwards Smith boldly said he is the best player in college football.
- Jeremiah Smith -110
- Darian Mensah +700
- Keelon Russell +700
- CJ Carr +750
- Trinidad Chambliss +1500
- Arch Manning +3000
- Malachi Toney +3000
- Gunner Stockton +3000
- Kamario Taylor +3500
- Julian Sayin +3500
Final NCAAF Betting Thoughts
To maximize betting value in Week 6 of the college football season, focus on key situational traps, like what Iowa faces in their trip to Washington. Also, track defensive mismatches and inflated public lines. The matchup between Alabama and Georgia originally had the Tide as a rare home underdog. However, the line crossed in favor of Alabama still leaving them as the best play at -1.5. Betting markets have increased relative to early-season non-conference blowouts and analysts recommend locking in early key numbers before public weekend volume forces NCAAF lines to move.
