Each week, I will use this space to tell you what I think are a few of the best bets heading into the weekend. I will also throw in an upset of the week, which will feature a team that is at least a touchdown underdog that I am picking to win outright. I will also give you picks on other games involving potential College Football Playoff teams. Until the list of candidates gets whittled down some more, I’ll go with the AP top 12 for now.
Last week would have been perfect if not for a miss on the upset special. I am 13-11 overall and 0-8 on the upset picks. Historically speaking, I am way overdue for a hit on the upset.
Week 9 picks
No. 8 Notre Dame at No. 19 Michigan (-1): Michigan is 1-12 against top 10 teams under Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines are coming off another of those losses against No. 6 Penn State while the Irish had the week off to get ready. One of Michigan’s biggest problems is giving the ball away. That plays right into Notre Dame’s hand, as they are one of the best at taking it away. It is really hard to trust Michigan in a game like this, and I’m surprised to see that it is favored, albeit ever so slightly. Pick: Notre Dame (+1)
Maryland at No. 17 Minnesota (-17): The people setting these lines are still behind on Maryland. Yes, it played Indiana tough last week, but that was Indiana. If not for Rutgers, the Terrapins would be the worst team in the Big Ten. There is a chance they catch the Gophers looking ahead to Penn State, but I’m not sure that would even matter. Pick: Minnesota (-17)
San Diego State at UNLV (+13): With the exception of the win over Vanderbilt a couple of weeks ago, the Rebels have been getting drilled by everybody. They have yet to lose a game this season that would have covered a spread this small. No reason to believe this week will be any different. Pick: San Diego State (-13)
Upset of the week
UCF at Temple (+10.5): Temple has already picked off a couple of favorites at home this season. The Owls were underdogs against both Maryland and Memphis, yet handed each their first loss of the season. Of course, in Maryland’s case, they exposed the Terps probably more than truly upset them. UCF comes north for its second game in the state of Pennsylvania this season. The first matchup did not go well as Pitt ended the Knights’ 27-game regular-season winning streak. They have now lost twice in a row on the road, and will be without leading rusher Greg McCrae. Pick: Temple (+10.5)
Other CFP candidates
- Arkansas at No. 1 Alabama (-32.5) Pick: Alabama
- No. 9 Auburn at No. 2 LSU (-11.5) Pick: Auburn
- No. 13 Wisconsin at No. 3 Ohio State (-14) Pick: Ohio State
- Boston College at No. 4 Clemson (-34.5) Pick: BC
- No. 5 Oklahoma at Kansas St (+32) Pick: Oklahoma
- No. 6 Penn State at Michigan State (+6.5) Pick: Penn State
- Washington State at No. 11 Oregon (-14) Pick: Oregon
- Cal at No. 12 Utah (-19) Pick: Utah
So what CFB picks can you make with confidence in Week 9? And which line is shows Vegas is way off? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams win and cover the spread in every game this week, all from a proven computer model that has returned over $4,200 in profit over the past four seasons.