College Football Best Bets & Predictions for Week 5 Early Games

College football best bets for Week 5 early games, including USC vs. Illinois, Notre Dame vs. Arkansas, and Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest.

Jared Hochman - Content Operations Manager at Covers.com
Jared Hochman • Content Manager
Sep 27, 2025 • 07:59 ET • 3 min read
College football best bets early games Week 5
Photo By - Imagn Images. USC quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Makai Lemon (6) and running back Waymond Jordan (2).

The noon slate for this week's college football schedule is highlighted by USC visiting Illinois for the FOX Big Noon Kickoff, along with Notre Dame taking on Arkansas and Georgia Tech facing Wake Forest.

Covers' college football experts have a best bet for each of those games and more — read on for our college football picks and analysis! 

Game Time (ET)
Network
Best bet
USC vs Illinois 12:00 | FOX USC -6.5
-114
Notre Dame vs Arkansas 12:00 | ABC o63.5
-110
Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest 12:00 | ESPN Wake Forest +13.5
-102
Cincinnati vs Kansas 12:00 | TNT o57.5
-115
Duke vs Syracuse 12:00 | ACCN o60.5
-115

CFB Week 5 preview with Andrew Caley and Douglas Farmer


USC vs Illinois best bet

USC -6.5 (-114 at FanDuel)

A combination of time and injuries has turned Illinois' secondary from a strength into a weakness, one that led to Indiana shredding them last week — and USC's passing offense has a better success rate and EPA per dropback than the Hoosier this season.

See our full analysis and Trojans/Fighting Illini SGP in our USC vs. Illinois predictions.

Notre Dame vs Arkansas best bet

Over 63.5 (-110 at FanDuel)

Giving up 23 first-half points and 300 yards passing to a Purdue team that was picked by the media to finish dead-last in the Big 10? That’s a massive red flag for Notre Dame. Then again, when you’re ranked 130th in net EPA/play on defense, 125th in defensive pass success rate, and 121st in net EPA/drive, it makes sense. The good news for Notre Dame — Arkansas isn’t much better on that side of the ball either.

See our full analysis and Fighting Irish/Razorbacks SGP in our Notre Dame vs. Arkansas predictions.

Georgia Tech vs Wake Forest best bet

Wake Forest +13.5 (-102 at FanDuel)

Both defenses are stronger against the pass than against the run, which suggests a slower, more clock-grinding contest. Add in that Georgia Tech allows 155.5 rushing yards per game, while Wake Forest allows 132, and both teams will lean heavily on their ground attacks, keeping this as a tighter scoreline.

See our full analysis and Yellow Jackets/Demon Deacons SGP in our Georgia Tech vs. Wake Forest predictions.

Cincinnati vs Kansas best bet

Over 57.5 (-114 at FanDuel)

Depth in the secondary could be a major issue for Kansas, as safety Devin Dye is suspended for the first half due to a targeting call last week, while the other starting safety, Mason Ellis, is also doubtful to play due to an injury. Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby struggled in the opener against Nebraska, but that's a much better defense, and he's played well in the two games since.

See our full analysis and Bearcats/Jayhawks SGP in our Cincinnati vs. Kansas predictions.

Duke vs Syracuse best bet

Over 60.5 (-115 at FanDuel)

Both the Orange and the Blue Devils have one approach to winning games this year: Outscore opponents to cover up for shaky defenses. Oddsmakers have tried to keep up, yet the Blue Devils have still hit the Over in all four of their games this year, while Syracuse has also made it to the Over in three of its first four contests.

See our full analysis and Blue Devils/Orange SGP in our Duke vs. Syracuse predictions.

Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Jared Hochman Content Operations Manager at Covers.com
Content Manager

Before Jared Hochman joined the Covers team in 2020, he worked for newspaper outlets such as the Chronicle Herald and The Coast, worked in marketing for SkipTheDishes and Vivid Seats, and previously ran a magazine. A journalism graduate from the University of King's College in, Halifax, N.S., "Hoch" brings more than a decade of experience in sports betting, having worked as a freelance handicapper, making appearances on Monumental Sports Network and the Sharp 600 podcast, and now also filling in occasionally as host of Covers' NHL Puck Props. 

Awarded Covers' company MVP for 2023, Jared is an avid bettor of MLB, NFL, NHL, and NBA, while also wagering on some soccer and WNBA. His best advice for sports bettors? Price shop, which is something he does daily across 10 different sportsbook apps.

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