The college football season is almost halfway over, and our major storylines are starting to coalesce.
Week 7 offers plenty of intrigue. We have an elimination game in Husky Stadium, a bluebloods rivalry in South Bend and plenty of Group of Five intrigue.
Most top-10 teams face overmatched opponents as massive favorites, opening up the chance for a letdown spot or a backdoor cover.
As usual, it’s a tremendous week of college football. And yes, I said "week" and not "Saturday" on purpose because there are some quality midweek matchups you won't want to miss.
I'm excited to kick back and enjoy this week's slate. But first, let’s look at some things to know before placing your Week 7 bets.
Coming into the season, this game was circled as the obvious "Anxiety Bowl" – where the losing coach would be canned while the winner saved his job.
Neal Brown’s Mountaineers have overperformed, so maybe his job is safe for now.
Meanwhile, Houston's struggles are very real.
The game might be losing its Anxiety Bowl status, but you can make it an Anxiety Bowl of your own by wagering recklessly.
This is a great Group of Five matchup for a Friday night involving two fun and fast offenses led by veteran quarterbacks and talented skill-position players.
This is a likely conference championship preview, and the winner might have the inside track on the New Year’s Six spot.
SP+ projects it at a dead heat, although Tulane (-4.5) is favored by more than a field goal on the road.
Live betting note: Utah State has thrived in the second half all season.
The Aggies have rallied to win consecutive games they trailed 17-0. They almost pulled off the trick three weeks ago against James Madison. With these Aggies, it ain’t over til it’s over.
Also, Fresno State starting quarterback Mikey Keene is in a walking boot and unlikely to play.
According to Deion Sanders, the Buffaloes ' silver-tongued head coach, Colorado’s superstar two-way player Travis Hunter has a “tremendous chance” of playing in this game.
Hunter would add some more bite to Colorado’s play on both sides of the ball, and we know the Buffaloes aren't wanting for bark.
They are favored by 11.5 at most shops, but about two-thirds of the bets tracked in the Action app favor Stanford to cover the number on the road.
Since 2000, the Boilermakers have hosted the Buckeyes eight times, with Purdue winning five. Ohio State is a 19.5-point favorite in a spot where it traditionally has found trouble.
If all these big favorites at noon are not exciting for you – in addition to Ohio State taking on Purdue, you also have Georgia, Alabama and Michigan as massive favorites in the time slot – this is the antidote for boring football.
Georgia Southern’s high-flying RPO offense takes on a James Madison team that is stout in the front seven but susceptible in the secondary.
Last year, the Eagles handed the Dukes their first loss of the season in a 45-38 shootout, and they would love to give their new division rivals their first loss again.
This total opened at 63 and quickly ballooned to 70, and is now the highest total on the board for Saturday, even higher than the much-anticipated Washington-Oregon showdown.
America has faith in your offenses, Temple and North Texas. Or, maybe we don’t trust your defenses.
Billy Napier’s road struggles at Florida have been well-documented. Maybe this is the week the Gators perform outside The Swamp, thanks to a new road-game routine.
Or maybe not, considering how effective Shane Beamer’s programs have been protecting Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
You, dear Action Network reader, are part of a conglomerate that does not believe in Napier on the road, instead backing Coach Skits and Bits. 92% of the bets tracked in our app favor the Gamecocks.
The Bulls are a slight favorite at home, but head-to-head havoc ratings – compiled here by our own Collin Wilson – show they have a significant advantage in this matchup.
Playoff contenders have looked more vulnerable this year than usual, but overall, this season hasn't been filled with chaotic upsets.
Instead, the upper echelon of the sport keeps compiling victories.
This sets up some massive showdowns in the back half of the season, and we get one of the first editions here. So much is at stake – Heisman futures, Pac-12 futures, playoff field tickets.
The Huskies are favored by a field goal to win this elimination game. The people want points, as 94% of the bets tracked in our app favor the total going over.
Stuckey’s Situational Spots of the Week is one of my favorite recurring Action Network pieces, but he tests the limits of my loyalty this week by recommending "a complete landfill" of picks – and those are his words, not mine.
He lays out the case for most of the week’s big underdogs, including the Minutemen.
Tail at your own discretion.
Maybe an interesting buy-low/sell-high spot with Pittsburgh getting a touchdown at home.
Louisville is coming off one of its most emotional wins in school history, a packed-house trampling of Notre Dame.
Pitt is coming off a bye week and a QB change.
Cardinals fans: Sports betting is now legal in Kentucky. Learn all about Kentucky sports betting and how you can sign up to wager on the upcoming game today!
Brad Cunningham lays out a compelling case for the over in this matchup in his Pace Report picks.
Basically, both teams play fast, faster than you might think, and the underlying metrics favor both offenses.
One of the most fun games of the week with Mountain West title implications.
The Cowboys are drawing attention because they keep winning close games, including a pair of home humdingers against Texas Tech and Appalachian State.
The Falcons haven’t drawn the same recognition, perhaps because they keep anonymously blowing teams out. They replaced last year’s backfield stars and have kept flying high.
Notre Dame’s offense meets USC’s defense, truly a matchup of a stoppable force meeting a moveable object.
Both teams played in Week Zero, but USC has enjoyed a bye week since then, although you could make the case that the Trojans' defense has been quitting most of this season and should be well-rested regardless.
While the total has gone over, USC has failed to cover three consecutive games.
