by Ben Perks
Week 9 of college football features some exciting Top 25 matchups between Big Ten East rivals. No. 6 Michigan faces No. 8 Michigan State, and No. 5 Ohio State takes on No. 20 Penn State. Other top games include No. 10 Ole Miss vs. No. 18 Auburn in what is tipped as an elimination game in the SEC West, and No. 1 Georgia heads to Jacksonville looking to exact revenge for last year’s loss against the Florida Gators. Get insights and odds for these NCAAF matchups and other top games this week.
Michigan @ Michigan St Spartans Betting Odds
| Spread | Win | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Michigan | -4 (-115) | -195 | O51 (-110) |
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Michigan St Spartans | +4 (-105) | +165 | U51 (-110) |
Although these Michigan teams have met 113 times, they have never faced each other with matching 7-0 records. What’s more, they haven’t played against each other as Top 10 teams since 1964. The Michigan State Spartans go into the game well rested after spending last weekend on a bye, while the Michigan Wolverines destroyed the Northwestern Wildcats 33-7 on Saturday.
One of these rivals will be 8-0 by the time November arrives. Online sportsbook Bovada has Michigan as a -180 favorite to get the win over the Spartans. However, Michigan did lose to them last season, and Spartans on-fire running back Kenneth Walker III will be looking to upset the odds. A solid performance from Walker against Michigan will surely make him a likely contender for the Heismann Trophy.
The Florida Gators have their work cut out for them when they face Georgia this week. The Bulldogs seem like the complete package with a No. 1 ranked defense and an offense led by quarterback Stetson Bennett. In this Week 9 game, Bennett should cross the 1,000-year passing mark and will most likely add to his 11 touchdowns for the season.
Emory Jones will lead Florida’s rushing game and passing game. So far this season, the quarterback has 1,305 passing yards, ten touchdowns, and 495 rushing yards. Although these stats are impressive, they don’t paint the whole picture, as James has nine interceptions in the last seven games. As a result, Florida ranks 119th in turnover margin. All the stats are pointing to a big win for Georgia.
No. 20 Penn State is unsurprisingly a huge underdog going into this matchup. This is due to the Nittany Lions’ shameful defeat to Illinois last week and because the Buckeyes have looked more impressive with each game.
This matchup will be a tale of two very different offenses. Penn State is averaging 28.3 points per game, while Ohio State is averaging 48.5 points per game. Also, Buckeyes quarterback C.J. Stroud has thrown 14 touchdowns and had zero interceptions in the last three matchups. However, Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford has four touchdowns and four interceptions in his previous three appearances. Expect Ohio State to run away with this one.
Last week, The Auburn Tigers moved up one spot in the AP Poll to 18th but will be looking to improve on that ranking with a victory over No. 10 Mississippi. However, Ole Miss has a Top 10 offense in yards and points per game and yards per pass. Yet, maybe the Tigers can exploit the Rebels’ mediocre defense. Ole Miss sits in 83rd place opponents points per game and 97th in yards per game. Another concern is that the Rebels have allowed teams to convert nearly 60 percent of fourth downs. Despite having a better defense on paper, the Tigers do terribly in the red zone – they let opponents score at a 95.25 percent clip. However, Ole Miss converts almost 90 percent of their red-zone chances. This football game looks likely to be a high-scoring shootout.
Wisconsin and Iowa are defense-first teams. The focus on defense makes complete sense when you consider that both teams have average quarterbacks. Therefore, expect this football matchup to be a contest of ground attacks. The Badgers are averaging 207 rushing yards per game, whereas Iowa is getting around 116.6 rushing yards per game. So, if Wisconsin can avoid turnovers from quarterback Graham Mertz, they should bag a close win.
Texas @ Baylor (#16) Betting Odds
| Spread | Win | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Texas | +2.5 (-110) | +115 | O62 (-110) |
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Baylor (#16) | -2.5 (-110) | -135 | U62 (-110) |
The Bears have been near the Big 12 title race for the last two months and are coming off a bye week, which has led sportsbooks to make them slight favorites to beat the Longhorns. Recently, Texas has struggled defensively. Baylor should be able to capitalize on this and have little problem moving the ball. However, despite being unranked and having a record of two losses, sportsbooks understand that the Longhorns have a decent offense. For this reason, most oddsmakers don’t think this will be an easy win for the Bears.
Miami Florida @ Pittsburgh (#17) Betting Odds
| Spread | Win | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Miami Florida | +11.5 (-115) | +335 | O62 (-110) |
| 10/30/21 @ 12:00 | Pittsburgh | -11.5 (-105) | -455 | U62 (-110) |
Both teams are coming off impressive wins. The Miami Hurricanes pulled off a massive 31-30 upset against N.C. State and the Panthers beat the Clemson Tigers 27-17, which lifted Pittsburgh to 17th in the rankings. QB Kenny Pickett’s inspired performance (302 yards and two touchdowns) was integral in defeating the Tigers. His display was so exceptional that many bettors now see him as a dark horse to win the Heismann Trophy. This season, the quarterback has 23 touchdowns and just one interception. Moreover, He ranks in the Top-10 in yards, touchdowns, and interceptions. If Pickett produces another masterclass, Miami could take a shellacking this Saturday.
Other Top NCAAF Games in Week 9
- No. 2 Cincinnati (-25.5) at Tulane
- Texas Tech at No. 4 Oklahoma (-20)
- Colorado at No. 7 Oregon (-25.5)
- North Carolina at No. 11 Notre Dame (-4)
- No. 12 Kentucky (PK) at Mississippi State
- Duke at No. 13 Wake Forest (-16.5)
- Kansas at No. 15 Oklahoma State (-29.5)
- No. 19 SMU (PK) at Houston
- Fresno State at No. 21 San Diego State (PK)
- No. 22 Iowa State (-7) at West Virginia
- Virginia at No. 25 BYU (-2.5)
View: the latest odds for all NCAAF matchups in Week 9.
Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.
