Week 6 in college football doesn’t have as many marquee clashes as the previous weekend, but bettors have zeroed in on three big games.
Key Takeaways
- Bettors are all over Vanderbilt and the over in the SEC showdown with Alabama.
- Texas is taking plenty of money against Florida, but the Gators are getting some upset love.
- Miami is a popular pick this week at Florida State.
An SEC matchup that for years went unnoticed on Saturdays is a major focal point as Alabama takes on Vanderbilt as a 10.5-point favorite in the most-bet game of the week at multiple sportsbooks.
“Vanderbilt is drawing plenty of action against Alabama, but the money is leaning toward the Tide to cover -10.5,” BetMGM trading manager Seamus Magee said. “Texas and Miami are also popular plays, while Iowa State joins Vanderbilt as a trendy underdog on the moneyline. Overs are also a fan favorite across the board.”
There isn’t a history of significant Bama-Vandy games to fall back on, but this year is different. The Crimson Tide are coming off a huge win over Georgia that vaulted them into the AP top 10. The Commodores are 5-0 for the second time in 80 years and ranked 16th.
ESPN BET reported that Vandy has taken the third-most spread bets in Week 6, and the underdog is getting 62% of the wagers and 54% of the handle. BetMGM stated Alabama is the second most-bet spread team by handle, having seen 80% of the money but only 45% of the tickets.
However, Vandy is the second most-bet moneyline underdog to win outright with odds of +325. DraftKings has taken 60% of the tickets and 57% of the spread handle on the Dores. The total of 55.5 is getting 91% of the money at BetMGM, where it’s the most-bet total of the week, but ESPN BET has seen 66% of the handle on the under.
Loving the Longhorns
No. 9 Texas has yet to look dominant under quarterback Arch Manning, but it heads to Florida on Saturday as a 6.5-point favorite that’s getting 76% of the tickets and 64% of the handle at ESPN BET.
The spread is down to 4.5 at DraftKings despite 70% of the handle and 74% of the tickets backing the visiting Longhorns. BetMGM has Florida (+5.5) getting just 9% of the money, but there are bettors taking their shot at an upset, as the Gators are getting the most tickets of any team this week against the spread, and they’re fifth in moneyline underdog bets.
As for the total, the under is a hot play at BetMGM and a top-five over at ESPN BET.
Prime-time rivalry showdown
A Sunshine State rivalry game in prime time will capture the most betting attention late Saturday. No. 3 Miami (-4.5) is the most-bet team by money at ESPN BET heading into the showdown at No. 18 Florida State. The Hurricanes are getting 82% of the handle and over 70% of the tickets.
They’re also one of the most-bet teams at BetMGM this week at -3.5, and the favorites are getting 58% of the handle and 64% of the tickets. There is some pushback to that Hurricanes dominance at DraftKings, which has seen 58% of the money come in on the Seminoles, with Miami claiming 62% of the bets.
Other Week 6 insights
Saturday’s Big 12 clash between No. 14 Iowa State and Cincinnati is getting a lot of action as well. The Cyclones are slight underdogs on the road and are getting 64% of the handle at BetMGM but just 46% of the tickets.
In another interesting split in the same conference, No. 11 Texas Tech (-11.5) has seen 64% of the bets at BetMGM but just 46% of the handle against Houston. No. 24 Virginia, fresh off an ACC upset over Florida State, is getting 55% of the bets as a 6-point underdog at Louisville, but the Cardinals have taken 66% of the money.
Several big-name programs with huge spreads this week are expectedly seeing the bulk of the action and money, including No.1 Ohio State (-20.5 vs. Minnesota), No. 7 Penn State (-24.5 at UCLA), No. 12 Georgia (-20.5 vs. Kentucky), No. 20 Michigan (-17.5 vs. Wisconsin), and No. 21 Notre Dame (-20.5 vs. Boise State).
