College Football Best Bets of the Week: Week 10

We got back on track in our college football best bets last week, with ECU taking care of business against Temple and the Kansas-Kansas State total cashing by 0.5 points. We had to sweat that one out, but we will take that trip to the window all day long.

Week 10 is full of opportunities, with games taking place Tuesday-Saturday. Let’s get into it.

Kansas State vs. Houston

(Kansas State -12.5, O/U 46.5, BetRivers)

On the surface, Houston’s recent win over Utah was massive, but when you dig in further you’ll see that the Utes were using their third string QB for a lot of that game and their offense has completely bottomed out without Cam Rising. As has been the case for the last three years, Rising can’t get healthy and it’s costing the Utes big time.

With that said, we shouldn’t discount the Cougars victory but they’re in for a big letdown against Kansas State and this is one of those classic “hangover” spots that you’ll hear analysts talk about. The Wildcats took a 29-27 victory over Kansas last week and have become a well-oiled machine for lack of a better term.

With Kansas State still in the mix for a Big-12 championship, you can be certain they’ll be at their best against a Houston team that was all but dead just a few weeks ago. Avery Johnson is playing the best football of his career and as long as DJ Giddens is healthy this offense remains one of the most dynamic in the conference. This line will probably scare people but I’m confidently backing the Wildcats and personally think this should be more like -14.5.

The Pick

Kansas State -12.5

Ohio State vs. Penn State

(Ohio State -3.5, O/U 45.5, DraftKings Sportsbook)

The Buckeyes came out flat against Nebraska after suffering a deflating last-second defeat to Oregon two weeks prior, which was a surprise to most of us. It seemed like a lock that OSU would come out firing, but bizarre play-calling and porous protection led to a truly disappointing performance. The Buckeyes still came out with a win, but it was hard to feel good about it. Looking at the total of 45.5, there is a big edge for the over. 

Drew Allar is dealing with an injury, so there is a chance he doesn’t play, but I still think Penn State can put some points on the board regardless of that situation. Ohio State’s defense has been lackluster lately and we saw them give up big play after big play against Oregon. The Nittany Lions offense isn’t Oregon obviously, but they have the playmakers to keep the Buckeyes on their toes and their running game is built around the extremely capable Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen.

On the other side, Penn State’s defense will appear to be elite on paper, but they haven’t exactly faced a who’s who of offensive teams. They gave up 27 points to Bowling Green earlier this season and had no answer for their superstar TE Harold Fannin (11-137-1). Even former Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak threw for over 250 yards. USC was the other capable passing offense they faced, and they had several explosive plays on their way to 30 points. 

The Buckeyes have one of the best duos in the country in freshman Jeremiah Smith and veteran Emeka Egbuka plus a QB in Will Howard that is always up for the challenge. The Buckeyes are too good, and their coaching staff is typically too sharp to repeat a travesty like last week. I expect the play calling to put the game on Will Howard’s arm which will challenge the Nittany Lions to keep up, regardless of who is under center for them. The Ohio State University can’t possibly let us down two weeks in a row, right?

The Pick

Over 45.5 Total Points