Best bets for Saturday’s Minnesota-No. 24 Illinois, No. 8 Oklahoma State-No. 13 TCU and No. 7 USC-No. 20 Utah matchups.
Bettors and college football fans find the best week of the college football season on tap Saturday with several amazing matchups.
Through six weeks of action on the collegiate gridiron, all of the teams ranked inside the AP top 10 remain undefeated. After moving back to top of the poll, Alabama fell behind both Georgia and Ohio State as the status of reigning Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young (shoulder) remains unclear.
In Week 7, bettors find six games featuring ranked teams on the betting board.
No. 3 Alabama is a seven-point road favorite over No. 8 Tennessee, while No. 5 Michigan is a seven-point home favorite over No. 10 Penn State.
No. 13 TCU is a four-point home favorite over No. 8 Oklahoma State, No. 18 Syracuse is a 3.5-point home favorite over No. 15 NC State, No. 16 Mississippi State lands as a four-point road favorite over No. 22 Kentucky, and No. 20 Utah is installed as 3.5-point home favorites over No. 7 USC.
No. 1 Georgia (-38) is expected to roll over Vanderbilt, while No. 2 Ohio State gets a week off.
Ohio State (+188), Georgia (+200) and Alabama (+220) remain overwhelming favorites in the college football championship futures market at SI Sportsbook. The next closest teams No. 4 Clemson +900 No. 7 USC +1100 check in well behind.
Respected money information stumbled last week and now boast a 9-5-2 against the spread (ATS) record (64%) over the last 16 plays. In Week 7, my information from Vegas has three investment opportunities bettors should target.
Let’s drive into what’s on tap for Saturday.
Bet on College Football at SI Sportsbook
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Minnesota (4-1; 4-1 ATS) at Illinois (5-1; 4-2 ATS)
Spread: Minnesota -6.5 (-118) | Illinois +6.5 (-110)
Moneyline: MIN (-300) | ILL (+200)
Total: 39.5 – Over (-110) | Under (-118)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: MIN 41% | ILL 59%
Game Info: Oct. 15, 2022 | 12 p.m. ET | BTN
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.
The line has steamed since opening with No. 24 Illinois as a 3.5-point home underdog to a spread now showing Minnesota as a 6.5-point road favorite.
Illinois has been the target of respected money in several games this season and it has cashed each time. However, in Week 7, the status of senior quarterback Tommy Devito is in doubt after he left last week’s win over Iowa in the first quarter with an ankle injury. Junior tailback Chase Brown is the college football’s leading rusher, averaging 146.5 yards per game. He has run for 108-plus yards in every game this season and topped the century mark in each of his last seven games.
Minnesota also possesses a star running back in Mohamed Ibrahim. The bruising senior, who has rushed for 13 consecutive 100-yard games dating to last season, has notched eight rushing touchdowns in four games this season. The Gophers’ offense looked out of sync without Ibrahim (ankle) in last week’s 20-10 loss against Purdue. The star back is expected back for this week’s game.
Minnesota is 7-3 straight-up (SU) and 6-4 ATS over the last 10 meetings with Illinois. Respected money in Vegas is expecting the return of Ibrahim and Devito’s likely absence to be the big difference Saturday.
BET: Minnesota -6 (-120) *Buy Hook
Oklahoma State (5-0; 4-2) at TCU (5-0; 4-0-1 ATS)
Spread: OKST +4 (-118) | TCU -4 (-118)
Moneyline: OKST (+145) | TCU (-200)
Total: 68.5 – Over (-118) | Under (-118)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: OKST 59% | TCU 41%
Game Info: Oct. 15, 2022 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.
The line has ticked up since opening with No. 13 TCU as a three-point road favorite over No. 8 Oklahoma State at SI Sportsbook.
Senior quarterback Max Duggan has TCU off to a red-hot 5-0 start. Duggan is completing 73.2% of his passes, which has resulted in 326.3 passing yards in four starts since coming in for freshman quarterback Chandler Morris after he suffered a knee injury in the season opener against Colorado. Duggan has displayed moxie and a solid command of Sonny Dykes’s offense that ranks third in the nation in total yards per game (530.0) and averages 46.4 points per game.
Oklahoma State has also ripped off five straight wins on the strength of a prolific offense (46.3 points per game) led by quarterback Spencer Sanders. The senior signal-caller is on pace for career-highs in both passing and rushing touchdowns.
The Horned Frogs, who are 3-2 SU and ATS in the last five games with the Cowboys, are 2-0 SU and ATS in the last two home showdowns at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Respected money is not willing to get in front of the TCU train.
BET: TCU -4 (-118)
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
USC (6-0; 4-2 ATS) Utah (4-2 SU; 4-2 ATS)
Spread: USC +3.5 (-110) | UTAH -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: USC (+138) | UTAH (-188)
Total: 65 – Over (-118) | Under (-118)
Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: USC 57% | UTAH 43%
Game Info: Oct. 15, 2022 | 8 p.m. ET | FOX
Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change.
The line has held steady since opening in favor of No. 20 Utah as a 3.5-point home favorite against No. 7 USC at SI Sportsbook.
Utah ranks 14th in the country in scoring, averaging 40.3 points per game, while USC is right behind the Utes by averaging 40.2 points per game (15th).
USC is undefeated (6-0) after rolling to a 4-0 start against Pac-12 opponents. Dual-threat quarterback Caleb Williams has been sensational, accounting for 17 total touchdowns while only tossing one interception.
Meanwhile, Utah’s four-game winning streak ended last week in a 42-32 loss to UCLA. Utah quarterback Cameron Rising, who had thrown two-plus touchdowns in four straight games, failed to throw a touchdown against the Bruins but added two scores on the ground.
USC is 2-1 SU and ATS over the last three meetings in the Pac-12 rivalry and is 6-4 SU dating back to 2012. Respected money in Vegas is grabbing the hook with the Trojans as they look to win their seventh consecutive game and keep their hopes alive for a College Football Playoff berth.
BET: USC +3.5
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2022 SI Betting NCAA Football: 11-11-2 ATS
2021 SI Betting NCAA Football: 14-12 ATS
2020 SI Betting NCAA Football: 32-21 ATS
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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