College Football Picks Today: 3 Predictions, Odds for Friday (Oct. 23)

Today’s College Football Picks in Summary

• Duke Moneyline (+110)
• Army Moneyline (+104)
• NC State -6.5 (-115)

The college football weekend kicks into gear Friday night with a five-game FBS slate, giving bettors plenty to dig into before Saturday's action arrives.

With conference matchups spanning the ACC, AAC, Mountain West, and more, Friday's schedule offers several interesting betting spots.

Below, we'll go through our favorite college football picks and best bets for tonight, using matchup data and recent performance to identify three wagers worth considering.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

Friday’s Best College Football Predictions, Picks

Duke Moneyline (+110)

Duke at Virginia, 7 p.m. ET

The Virginia Cavaliers haven't done much since opening the season with a convincing win over NC State. The Cavaliers have since lost to West Virginia and Florida State and are coming off a 23-13 defeat at SMU.

Meanwhile, the Duke Blue Devils have dropped two straight of their own, but the Blue Devils' underlying defensive numbers make them appealing in what should be a tight game.

Duke has been particularly stout against the run, allowing only 107.6 rushing yards per game. That's significant against a Virginia offense that has leaned heavily on its ground attack, and the Blue Devils have also controlled possession for more than 33 minutes per game.

Neither offense profiles as one that should create a huge margin Friday, so I’m inclined to side with the underdog Blue Devils to win outright.

Army Moneyline (+104)

Army at Tulsa, 8:30 p.m. ET

This is my favorite matchup-based bet of the night.

The Army Black Knights enter Friday averaging 357.5 rushing yards per game, the best mark in the FBS, while the Tulsa Golden Hurricane are surrendering 191.6 rushing yards per game and 4.34 yards per carry. The matchup becomes even more concerning for the Golden Hurricane when looking strictly at conference play: Tulsa has surrendered 300.7 rushing yards per game and 5.43 yards per carry across its three conference games.

Army is producing 34.8 points per game and is coming off a monster rushing performance in which it accumulated 479 yards on 60 carries against Florida Atlantic. The Black Knights have also turned the ball over only twice this season, which is important for an option offense that wants to shorten the game and consistently stay ahead of the chains.

In what should be a close one, I prefer to back an Army team whose biggest strength directly attacks one of the Golden Hurricane's biggest weaknesses.

NC State -6.5 (-115)

NC State at Stanford, 10:30 p.m. ET

NC State has produced 33.0 points and 426.3 total yards per game this season, giving the Wolfpack a sizable offensive advantage in this matchup. The biggest reason to like NC State is a Stanford defense that's allowing 36.6 points and 452.0 total yards per game, including 196.6 rushing yards per contest.

The matchup on third down is another significant edge for the Wolfpack. NC State has converted 51.1% of its third downs while the Cardinal have allowed opponents to move the chains on 47.8% of their third-down opportunities. Stanford has also surrendered points on 96.4% of opponents' red-zone trips.

Stanford's offense hasn't shown enough explosiveness to make up for those defensive issues, averaging just 18.3 points and 342.9 yards per game.

With NC State possessing the more productive offense and several favorable situational matchups, I like the Wolfpack to create enough separation to cover on the road.

College Football Betting FAQ

What is a point spread in college football betting?

The point spread is designed to account for the expected difference between two teams. The favorite must win by more than the listed spread for a bet on that team to cover while the underdog can cover by winning outright or losing by fewer points than the spread.

What is a college football moneyline bet?

A moneyline wager is simply a bet on which team will win the game. Favorites typically have shorter odds and smaller potential payouts while underdogs generally offer larger potential returns.

What does over/under mean in college football?

An over/under, also known as the game total, is a wager on the combined number of points scored by both teams. Bettors can choose whether the final combined score will finish over or under the set total.

What are college football player props?

College football player props are wagers based on an individual player's performance rather than the final outcome of the game. Depending on availability, common markets can include passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, touchdowns, and other statistical categories.

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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.