College football picks: Predictions against the spread, odds, betting lines for top 25 games in Week 9 — SkimNews
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- Miami heads to North Carolina as the AP's No. 1 team with a 30-0 record against unranked opponents, while the Tar Heels are 0-11 all-time against the nation's No. 1 team; the pick is Under 52.5.
- Ohio State has not announced a starting quarterback to replace Julian Sayin, who is out indefinitely; Luke Fahey and former five-star Tavian St. Clair battled for the job during the bye week and both could play, with the pick on Under 51.5 at USC.
- Georgia, No. 3, meets No. 17 Florida at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, October 31, the rivalry's first meeting there; the pick is Georgia -12.5, with the Bulldogs trying to avoid becoming only the second No. 1 team in history to lose back-to-back games.
- Arizona is the pick at +3.5 over Texas Tech, with the expert calling the Wildcats the most underrated team in the country and Noah Fifita playing the best ball of his career after Cincinnati exposed major holes in the Red Raiders' defense.
- Indiana, No. 4, hosts Minnesota, which holds all three of its rivalry trophies for the first time since 1978; the Hoosiers' offense has not scored 21 points in three straight games, and the pick is Under 41.5.
- Utah travels to Cincinnati with only three unbeaten teams left — Miami, No. 7 UCLA and No. 6 Utah — the fewest this early in a season since 1977, and the Bearcats can become the first unranked team since 1938 St. Mary's to beat ranked teams at 6-0 or better in back-to-back games.
- Texas joins Georgia and BYU as the three top-two teams to lose to unranked opponents over the last three weeks, the first such stretch since the carnage of the 2007 season.
Why it matters: The "top 25 games" label understates the parity on display: only three teams are unbeaten and Ohio State has no announced starter at quarterback. Three of five picks are unders, and Georgia -12.5 leans on a Bulldogs team stewing on a turnover-fueled loss to Auburn.
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