Three top-10 teams — BYU, Ole Miss, and Texas Tech — lost in Week 8 of the college football season, setting the stage for potential upsets in Week 9. The latest odds show No. 6 Utah as a 6.5-point road favorite at Cincinnati, while No. 13 Texas Tech is favored by 3.5 points against No. 22 Arizona. No. 3 Georgia is a 12.5-point favorite over No. 17 Florida, and USC is a 6.5-point underdog against No. 2 Ohio State in their first Big Ten meeting.
Model Predictions
SportsLine's computer model, which has gone 68-59 on top-rated picks this season and returned nearly $400 at betting sites, projects Oregon to beat Northwestern 30-21 as a 3.5-point favorite. The model gives Oregon a 62% chance to cover the spread and a 58% chance for the over (47.5) to hit. The Ducks are in a desperation spot after three losses and the firing of offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer following a 21-10 loss to Illinois. Northwestern enters on a four-game winning streak, though those wins came against teams with a combined one Big Ten victory.
Notable Week 9 Lines
Key games and odds (via FanDuel, subject to change) for Saturday, Oct. 31 include: Arizona at Texas Tech (-3.5, 54.5); Notre Dame at Navy (+30.5, 56.5); Auburn at Ole Miss (-12.5, 57.5); Florida at Georgia (-12.5, 55.5); Utah at Cincinnati (+6.5, 56.5); Northwestern at Oregon (-3.5, 47.5); South Carolina at Oklahoma (-4.5, 44.5); Clemson at Florida State (-6, 49.5); Miami at North Carolina (+14, 52.5); Mississippi State at Texas (-20.5, 50.5); Ohio State at USC (+6.5, 51.5).
