The final weekend of September is a big one in college football, and bettors are ready to pounce on intriguing matchups between top-ranked teams and known brands.
Key Takeaways
- Sportsbooks are preparing for big Week 5 action with massive games on the slate.
- Alabama-Georgia has already seen betting twists and turns.
- Bettors are loving a lot of ranked favorites on the road.
Week 5 could bring the most action sportsbooks have seen this season. There are four games pitting top-25 teams against each other, while another eight ranked teams face scary road games against non-ranked opponents.
"Bettors are gearing up for what might be the best weekend of college football yet,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “Under the Friday night lights, we get Florida State at Virginia, where the Noles are a popular pick to cover. Saturday turns up the heat with ranked matchups like Oregon at Penn State, LSU at Ole Miss, and Alabama at Georgia, where Oregon is the most bet underdog to win, while Georgia and Ohio State are two of the most popular favorites to cover.”
Monumental showdown
A top-tier SEC matchup between No. 17 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia takes center stage Saturday night. The Crimson Tide opened as 4.5-point underdogs but have moved to as low as +2.5 at FanDuel. Alabama is the most-bet team by handle at BetMGM and is seeing 73% of the money. Georgia at -3 is getting the third-most tickets, as 76% of the bets are backing the Bulldogs.
DraftKings reported similar splits, as 80% of the handle is on Georgia, but 60% of the tickets have come in on Alabama. ESPN BET is also seeing a one-sided affair, with the Bulldogs getting 76% of the bets and 68% of the handle, although it was much higher early on.
"Earlier in the week, Georgia was getting about 80% of spread bets and handle, but action has been coming back towards Alabama a bit, and we’re in to Bulldogs –2.5," said Adrian Horton, senior director of North American trading for ESPN BET.
Georgia is getting the bulk of the action on the moneyline, but it’s not by a ton at BetMGM. Alabama (+130) is the fourth most-bet underdog at BetMGM. Over 52.5 is also the most-bet total of the week for the online sportsbook.
Friday night lights
The most-bet game so far this week at multiple sportsbooks kicks off Friday night when No. 8 Florida State heads to Virginia as a 7-point favorite. Bettors are all over the Seminoles, who have regained prominence after a disastrous 2024. The most popularly wagered team in Week 5, FSU, is getting 75% of both the tickets and the handle at BetMGM.
The Seminoles are getting an even higher 83% of the wagers at DraftKings, but the money is lower at 70%. Over 80% of the moneyline handle is on the favorites.
Also on Friday night, No. 24 TCU heads to Arizona State as a 3-point underdog in the fifth most-bet game at BetMGM. Bettors are on the road team with 70% of the tickets at DraftKings coming in on TCU, the second most-bet team at ESPN BET this week, but the home favorite is getting a closer 45% of the handle at DraftKings.
Trusting the road favorite
No. 1 Ohio State is an 8-point favorite Saturday in a tricky road game against undefeated Washington. Bettors aren’t shying away from the Buckeyes, who have taken the second-most tickets and third-highest handle at BetMGM.
DraftKings has seen Ohio State get 78% of the bets and 66% of the money, and sportsbooks are going to be rooting for an outright upset to kill parlays and moneyline bets, as the Buckeyes have seen 90% of the handle.
There is no fear when it comes to several ranked teams favored on the road. No. 22 Notre Dame is getting 70% of the handle and 77% of the bets as a 4.5-point favorite over Arkansas at DraftKings. The online operator has also seen bettors ride the hot hand of No. 11 Indiana, which is getting 78% of the money and 79% of the tickets as an 8.5-point favorite at Iowa.
The majority of bettors are also backing No.15 Tennessee (-7.5) at Mississippi State, and No. 16 Georgia Tech (-14) at Wake Forest.
Popular underdogs
Bettors are taking their shots with a few high-profile underdogs. Listed by BetMGM at +145, No. 3 Oregon is the most-bet underdog at No. 3 Penn State. The Ducks are also the fourth most-bet team overall by tickets this week.
The Nittany Lions are getting just 38% of the money and 32% of the bets as home favorites at DraftKings. ESPN BET reported similar splits this week, but BetMGM has seen Penn State get 59% of the handle.
"Oregon has been getting the majority of spread bets and handle all week,” Horton said. “But it’s picking up more in their favor as of Friday morning, with about two-thirds of bets and nearly 60% of handle now on Oregon on the road."
