College football betting expert Brad Powers is back with his favorite plays for Week 9, breaking down where the value lies on this weekend’s slate.
In an in-depth conversation with Covers’ Joe Osborne, Powers shares his top NCAAF picks, while also weighing in on Texas A&M's versatility and the surprising lack of hype surrounding Ohio State.
Minnesota vs 
Iowa best bet
Pick: Minnesota +9 (-110 at FanDuel)
Brad believes there's a lot to like about the Golden Gophers, who are 5-2 and coming off a convincing win against Nebraska.
"They have one of the Top 10 running backs in the country in Darius Taylor," Brad says. "He hadn't been healthy for a few games, but they got him back last week and he made a difference. They pulled the outright upset at home against Nebraska, and he gives that Minnesota offense some balance."
Brad also doesn't trust the Hawkeyes despite their considerable hype.
"I'm kind of fading an Iowa team that everybody loves," he says. "Keep in mind they just beat a team playing with an interim coach and then beat a Wisconsin team that's going to have an interim coach in a couple weeks. I haven't been overly impressed with Iowa."
Michigan vs 
Michigan State best bet
Pick: Michigan State +14.5 (-102 at FanDuel)
Michigan State may be 0-4 in Big Ten play this season, but Brad is convinced they can cover against their in-state rivals on Saturday.
"Michigan State just lost by 25 to Indiana, but the scoreboard didn't reflect how well they actually played," he explains. "Their quarterback had by far his best performance against Indiana. I know Michigan had a decent performance against Washington, but asking a true freshman quarterback to lay two touchdowns in a rivalry game on the road at night is too much. I like Sparty here to play one of their better games this season."
Ohio State is somehow flying under the radar
Ohio State is 7-0 and No. 1 in the country, but Brad believes the Buckeyes still aren't getting the respect they deserve.
"Ohio State is a team that somehow nobody talks about," he marvels. "They keep covering point spreads and they're the defending national champs. They're by far the best team in the country this year."
Brad insists the numbers don't lie.
"Ohio State is 10-0-1 against the number since losing to Michigan last year," he says. "They're the most consistent team in the country. Their defense is the best unit in college football, and Julian Sayin, their young quarterback, is coming off his best performance, going 36-for-42 for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. They're separating themselves from the rest of college football and should be talked about more."
Notre Dame looks playoff-bound
Notre Dame got off to a rough start this season with losses to Miami and Texas A&M, but has since rattled off five straight wins. Brad believes the sky is the limit for the Fighting Irish, particularly after their big rivalry win over USC.
"That was their most important game of the season," he says. "If you look at the rest of the schedule, they are going to be favored in four of their five remaining games by three touchdowns or more, and are a double-digit favorite at Pitt on November 15. Notre Dame's -280 to make the playoffs, and I think it's a decent bet to make right now."
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Aggies have been awesome
You count count Brad among the many college football analysts who have been impressed with the Aggies this season.
"If we put Ohio State aside, the next 10 teams in my power rankings are separated by less than a touchdown from one another, and A&M is one of those threats," he says. "You've got to like the the makeup of the team; they've got a mobile quarterback, they've got two very dangerous wide receivers, an experienced offensive line, and a really good pass rush. They can beat you in a variety of different ways. We've seen them win a game 41-40 at Notre Dame, we've seen them last week win 45-42, but we've also seen them win a game against Auburn 16-10, so they're comfortable in any type of of game setting."
The one thing Texas A&M doesn't have going for it is an advantageous schedule. The Aggies are set to face three more ranked opponents this season, including No. 20 LSU.
"They're heading to LSU at night, where Brian Kelly has only lost one time in his tenure there," he cautions. "They also play at Missouri and at Texas, and I think they're going to lose at least lose one of those games, so I don't think it's a slam dunk they're going to run right to the SEC championship game."
