College Football Expert Picks: Best Bets and Predictions for Week 10
All eyes are on Happy Valley this weekend as the Penn State Nittany Lions host the Ohio State Buckeyes in a duel between top-five teams.
If you're looking for insights on that game, specifically, FanDuel Research's Skyler Carlin wrote up his best bets and player props for Ohio State at Penn State earlier Friday. But we've got a whole lotta other games on the board, as well.
Below, the FanDuel Research college football staff runs through its best bets for Saturday's games based on FanDuel Sportsbook's college football odds, including additional thoughts on that key Big 10 showdown.
College Football Week 10 Expert Betting Picks
Austin Swaim, Senior Editor
Spread/Moneyline: Washington Moneyline (+104)
Moneyline
While the USC Trojans might be the spicier brand under Lincoln Riley, the Washington Huskies seem like the better team right now. USC and UDub are tied at 6.3 yards per play on offense, yet Washington's defense ranks 71st in yards per play allowed (5.7) compared to 93rd for the Trojans (5.9).
At home, the Huskies are also 50th against the rush in that department, which should help them bottle up senior tailback Woody Marks and force stress onto an inconsistent USC passing game.
Total: Georgia Over 33.5 Points (-128)
Georgia Total Points
There are only eight schools in all of FBS giving up more yards per play on defense than the Florida Gators. It feels cruel to make them play the Georgia Bulldogs in this state, but the Florida-Georgia rivalry is one of the sport's best.
This feels like a buy-low spot for Carson Beck off an ugly, three-pick game against Texas, but UT is FBS' top defense in terms of passing YPA allowed (4.6). Look for him to get back to inflicting serious damage like his prior two contests, where he completed 76.6% of his throws for an average of 349.5 yards per game.
Riley Thomas, Writer
Spread/Moneyline: Penn State +3.5 (-124)
Spread
The biggest question for the showdown between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions has been the status of quarterback Drew Allar. As of Friday afternoon, Penn State's QB is expected to start on Saturday. Allar carries a 87.2 passing grade, via Pro Football Focus, fueling 9.9 yards per passing attempt (fourth-most) for the Nittany Lions. After Oregon logged 10.0 yards per passing attempt against the Buckeyes, OSU is squarely on upset alert with Penn State holding the third-highest EPA per drop back.
Total: Minnesota-Illinois Under 45.5 (-110)
Total Match Points
While neither the Minnesota Golden Gophers nor Illinois Fighting Illini features a high rush play rate, each offense is among the top 41% for the most seconds per play. Paired with slow tempos, both offenses are outside of the top 40 in EPA per play. Illinois' passing attack could struggle with its top receiver Pat Bryant (concussion) questionable. numberFire's game projections also has this game reaching only 36.3 combined points.
Skyler Carlin, Writer
Spread/Moneyline: Navy -10.5 (-115)
Spread
The Navy Midshipmen are averaging the eighth-most points per game (40.4) while producing the 3rd-most expected points added per pass (0.50) and 21st-most expected points added per rush (0.14). On the other hand, the Rice Owls don't have the offense to remain competitive in this game, ranking 119th in offensive success rate (37.2%).
Total: North Carolina Over 26.5 Points (-112)
UNC Total Points
In Saturday's clash against the Florida State Seminoles, the North Carolina Tar Heels should be able to pound the rock with plenty of success as they average 190.8 rushing yards per game and the 11th-most expected points added per rush (0.19) with RB Omarion Hampton leading the charge. Meanwhile, the Seminoles rank 92nd in expected points added per rush (0.05) while the Tar Heels average the 28th-most points per game (33.9).
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Which bets stand out to you across Week 10? Check out FanDuel Sportsbook's college football betting odds to see the full menu of options.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.