Really, you should all be impressed. It takes real skill for someone to be on a run as cold as this. Yes, I had another losing week with my college football betting picks, and I assume the feeling is the same as Nick Saban screaming at you through a Zoom call.
But here’s to starting our turnaround in Week 7, as we get back to the basics of college football betting. So, the Triple Option returns with my best college football picks and predictions for Week 7. But now, more than ever, fade away.
NCAA Football Picks and Predictions for Week 7
North Carolina Tar Heels vs Florida State Seminoles
One of my favorite things to bet in college football is when favorites with good running games go up against terrible run defenses. That’s because the run game is just more reliable overall. Teams will continue to run the ball no matter the score. And that’s exactly the matchup we get as North Carolina visits Florida State.
Now, it’s a rare occurrence that Florida State is a double-digit underdog at home, but that’s how bad they’ve been this season (even though they burned us last week against Notre Dame). The Seminoles are 1-3, needed a second-half comeback against FCS Jackson State for their lone win, and are giving up 33.5 points per game.
But the problem for the FSU defense in this one will be UNC’s run game. Thanks to some ugly linebacker play, Florida State is allowing opponents to run for 194.3 yards per game, at a clip of 6.0 yards per carry. That’s the fourth-worst mark in the FBS this season. And now they’ll have to deal with the Tar Heels’ run-pass-option offense, that's one of the best in the country.
UNC averages 245 rushing yards per game behind its two-headed monster of Michael Carter and Jevonte Williams and are coming off a game against Virginia Tech where they combined for 383 rushing yards on just 37 carries. The Tar Heels also have balance on offense with Sam Howell under center.
All signs point to the Tar Heels in this one. They are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games as a favorite and are 4-0 ATS in their last four trips to Florida State. What could go wrong?
PREDICTION: UNC -13.5 (-110)
Georgia Bulldogs vs Alabama Crimson Tide
The big news out of Tuscaloosa this week was that Alabama head coach Nick Saban had tested positive for COVID-19. Saban says he is feeling fine and is asymptomatic, but he will be handing the reins over to offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian for this week’s huge matchup against Georgia.
As a result, oddsmakers pulled the lines for this matchup. Alabama originally opened as a 6-point home fave, but have re-opened at -4.5. Is that value too good to pass up?
Yes, Alabama was awful defensively against Ole Miss, but the Rebels run a much more high-tempo system than Georgia and you just know Lane Kiffin was throwing the kitchen sink at his old boss. Georgia obviously is a more of a grind it out, pro-style offense. And while the Bulldogs are 3-0, this is the first time QB Stetson Bennett will face a team as talented as Alabama.
While the Bama defense has some things to improve on, the offense is arguably the best in the nation. QB Mac Jones has been outstanding, with a trio of awesome wideouts at his disposal, and then he has the support of Najee Harris in the run game. They will be put to the test against an excellent Georgia defense, but in the end, the Tide will have one too many weapons for the Dawgs to deal with.
And If you don’t think Saban will have his finger on the pulse of this game through Zoom or some other means, you don’t watch enough college football. I personally imagine Saban controlling some Phil Dunphey contraption where an iPad is attached to a stick and some wheels, rolling around the sidelines permanently on FaceTime in order to yell at people. I love getting Alabama at less than a touchdown here. Roll Tide.
PREDICTION: Alabama -4.5 (-110)
Army Black Knights vs. UTSA Roadrunners
You know what they say about military academies? Bet the Under. Well, that’s what they should say. That usually only applies when the military academies play each other, but Army has been a pretty great Under bet on its own in 2020.
The Under has gone 4-1 in the Black Knights’ games this season, and the four games that went Under saw a total of 44 points or fewer. While the lone game that went Over was against FCS Abilene Christian.
The Knights, of course, are all about the time of possession game with their triple-option offense (our favorite kind). Army ranks seventh in time of possession at over 34 minutes per game and nobody rushes the ball more than the Knights’ 56.7 attempts per game.
Army also has an excellent defense by the numbers, ranking seventh in the country in total yards allowed, and are giving up just 12.6 points per game. Mix that with a UTSA team that is also a run-first team and has scored 33 points over its last two games and the Under is a good bet in yet another Army game.
PREDICTION: Under 49.5 (-110)
Last week's NCAAF record: 1-2
Season to date: 5-10
Triple Option NCAA football betting card for Week 7
- UNC -13.5 (-110)
- Alabama -4.5 (-110)
- Army-UTSA Under 49.5 (-110)
Did you know that if you parlayed this week’s NCAA Triple Option picks, you could win $59.58 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where can I bet on college football?
You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
