College Football Betting Picks: Week 5

Week 5 of the college football season is here.

In this article, Monotone will give out his favorite CFB Play of the week. He’s currently 4-1 in his weekly column, so you won’t want to miss this one.

Washington -2.5 (-109) at UCLA

Friday, 10:30 PM ET
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook

It’s kind of funny that Washington and UCLA both started the season undefeated, got the epic Pac-12 matchup Friday night but didn’t even make the main-slate! While USC and Utah may have garnered all the Pac-12 attention thus far, both of these teams have their biggest opportunity to get their names on the map. Thinking of their long-term prospects, this game is very important for two emerging teams looking to prove themselves on a national level. 

One important thing to note about UCLA is they haven’t actually played anyone real yet, cruising through Bowling Green, Alabama State, South Alabama and Colorado. While Washington definitely hasn’t played the hardest schedule, knocking down a ranked Michigan State team is definitely important, and the Stanford blowout is a stronger win than any UCLA has on their resume. 

Indiana transfer Michael Penix Jr. has been a revelation on this Washington team, passing for over 300 yards in all four matchups, while throwing 12 touchdowns to only one interception. Receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan have also been a good duo, making it hard for defenses to key in on just one target. The UCLA defense surely hasn’t faced anyone on Penix’s level thus far, and I’m expecting the Bruins defense to struggle. While UCLA offensive weapons Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Zach Charbonnet are fun players to watch and great fantasy options, I’m not sure it’s going to be enough to win this matchup.

UCLA has lost their last 11 games versus ranked opponents, and my projections have them as six-point favorites. While UCLA is getting some credit for home-field advantage, I’m not sure we should be respecting that. 

The Bruins are currently giving out free tickets to local students to fill the stadium. I’m not sure the Washington crowd will overwhelm the stadium, but they shouldn’t have trouble with false starts due to crowd noise. 

Bet: Washington -2.5