2020 NCAAF Week 9 Odds and Picks Expert Analysis

2020 NCAAF Week 9 Odds and Picks Expert Analysis

Written by on October 28, 2020

Okay MyBookie sportsbook betting faithful…with the 2020 college football season rolling right along with its COVID-19 altered campaign and a handful of rivalry matchups on tap heading into Week 9, it’s time to take a look at two intriguing matchups that both look like they are offering some excellent college football betting value.

While only one team is currently ranked inside the national Top 25, both games could potentially have College Football Playoff implications somewhere down the line for at least two teams. Now, let’s find out who’s in action and where the best football betting value lies so you can make your bets and cash in against their NCAAF odds.

NCAA College Football Odds, Overview & Picks for Week 9

Michigan State (0-1) at Michigan (-0)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 at 12:00 PM ET
  • Where: Michigan Stadium

Michigan State got its 2020 campaign started off on the wrong foot by suffering a humbling 38-27 home loss against Rutgers on Saturday in head coach Mel Tucker’s debut. Quarterback Rocky Lombardi passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns but tossed a pair of costly picks and lost a fumble. The Spartans rushing attack was limited to 50 yards on 39 carries.

“We’ve got to run the ball better,” Tucker said. “We’ve got to be able to run the ball on our terms, because having balance on offense and not being one-dimensional is critically important.”

Unranked Michigan man-handled conference rival Minnesota 49-24 on Saturday as quarterback Joe Milton passed for 225 yards with one touchdown and no picks and running back Hassan Haskins rushed for 82 yards and two scores on just six carries.

“The protection was so good all night, and so was the run blocking,” Harbaugh said.

Michigan’s defense recorded five sacks, an interception and one recovered fumble in the win.

“Now we know where we’re at, and we know what we can look forward to building on and getting better,” Harbaugh said. “That’s our focus right now.”

Prediction

Michigan has won two straight in this long rivalry, but these two in-state foes have split the last six meetings evenly. While Michigan has gone 5-0 ATS in its last five games as a favorite, Michigan State has gone a near-perfect 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road dates against Michigan and a bankroll-boosting10-2 ATS in their last 12 meetings overall.  I like Michigan to win but Michigan State to cover the spread as three-touchdown plus underdogs.

Pick: Michigan 31 Michigan State 17

Texas (3-2) at No. 6 Oklahoma State (4-0)

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 31, 2020 at 4:00 PM ET
  • Where: Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK

Unranked Texas snapped a two-game skid by getting past Baylor 27-16 on Saturday as an 11-point home favorite. Quarterback Sam Ehlinger passed for 270 yards with one touchdown and one interception while adding 51 rushing yards and two more scores on the ground. Now, the preseason No. 8 is desperate for a confidence-boosting victory over the ranked Cowboys.

“I think we’re headed towards our ‘A’ game, and hopefully we can show up and deliver that in Stillwater because we’re going to need it,” Texas coach Tom Herman said Monday. “We’ve got it in us. I know we do. We’ve been building towards it, for sure. We are for certain a work in progress, but we made a lot a lot of strides in that bye week leading up to Baylor,” Herman added. “I expect us to continue on our trajectory north for improvement and development and, hopefully, give Oklahoma State our best shot.”

Sixth-ranked Oklahoma State is the only undefeated team in the Big 12. The Cowboys moved to 4-0 for the first time since 2015 by beating a tough Iowa State team 24-21 on Saturday to narrowly cover the chalk as a 2.5-point home favorite. Quarterback Spencer Sanders passed for 235 yards with one touchdown and two costly picks, but superstar running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for 139 yards and one score in the win while Sanders added 71 rushing yards and another score on the ground.

“We are playing good football but we need to play better,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said Monday. “We still have a few more mistakes in games than I would want. We have to minimize those mistakes whether it is turnovers, penalty yards, or momentum swings.”

Prediction

While Texas ranks eighth nationally in scoring by putting up 45.0 points per game, the Sooners also give up a whopping 32.2 points per contest defensively. Oklahoma State averages a modest 28.5 points per contest, but the Cowboys are elite defensively in limiting the opposition to just 12.0 points per contest to rank eight nationally in points allowed.

While the Longhorns hold a 25-9 all-time edge, Oklahoma State has won four of the past five meetings and seven of its last 10 meetings overall, though it was Texas that prevailed 36-30 last year in Austin.  Still, Texas hasn’t won in Stillwater since 2014 and the Longhorns are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 road games and 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games overall.

Conversely, Oklahoma State has gone 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win,  6-1-1 ATS in their last 8 conference games and an impressive 15-5-1 ATS in their last 21 games overall. While the road team in this Big 12 rivalry has gone 10-3 ATS in their last 13 meetings, the Longhorns are 1-4 ATS in the last 5 meetings. I like the Cowboys to get the big home win to narrowly cover the chalk and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.

Pick: Oklahoma State Oklahoma State 31 Texas 24


College Football Betting News

Odds and Lines: College Football Betting | Live Betting | Heisman Trophy | Regular Season Wins | Playoffs | National Championship