It’s time for Week 5 in college football, and it’s a loaded slate with several intriguing matchups up and down the board.
Which teams will come away victorious in the biggest battles of the weekend?
I take a look at the expected winners with my moneyline plays and college football picks for Week 5.
Week 5 college football moneyline picks
| Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|
 TCU vs  Arizona State |
+110 |
 Notre Dame vs  Arkansas |
-178 |
 USC vs  Illinois |
-240 |
 Auburn vs  Texas A&M |
+188 |
 LSU vs  Mississippi |
-105 |
 Ohio State vs  Washington |
-320 |
 Alabama vs  Georgia |
-152 |
 Oregon vs  Penn State |
-166 |
Lines courtesy of FanDuel.
Expert Week 5 CFB moneyline picks
TCU vs. Arizona State: TCU (+110)
The action gets started on Friday night with a clash between two of the Big 12’s top teams. The No. 24 TCU Horned Frogs’ potent offense (14th in EPA per play) is the best unit in this game, led by quarterback Josh Hoover, so they stand a good chance of pulling off the slight upset over an Arizona State Sun Devils team still searching for its identity.
Read our full TCU vs. Arizona State predictions.
Notre Dame vs. Arkansas: Notre Dame (-178)
The No. 22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish are far from perfect, and that’s reflected in two early-season losses, but they're the better team and face a reeling Arkansas Razorbacks coming off consecutive heartbreaking defeats. Neither defense has stopped a soul, but the Irish have enough talent on that side of the ball that there’s the possibility of a bounce back for what was one of the tougher units in the country a year ago.
Read our full Notre Dame vs. Arkansas predictions.
USC vs. Illinois: USC (-240)
The No. 21 USC Trojans have looked like a vintage Lincoln Riley offense thus far, ranking second in success rate led by quarterback Jayden Maiava (12.7 yards per attempt). The Illinois Fighting Illini were blown out by Indiana last week and have several injuries in the secondary, making this a difficult spot to rebound.
Read our full USC vs. Illinois predictions.
Auburn vs. Texas A&M: Auburn (+188)
These teams are of a similar caliber, so I’m grabbing the plus money on the Auburn Tigers to pull off the road victory. The Texas A&M Aggies have allowed at least 22 points in every game (28.7 average) and will be down a few starters on that side of the ball, so the Tigers should put some points on the board to keep this game competitive.
Read pour full Auburn vs. Texas A&M predictions.
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LSU vs Mississippi: LSU (-105)
The No. 13 Mississippi Rebels have an unreliable defense (90th in EPA per play), whereas the No. 4 LSU Tigers have been lights out on that side of the ball (11th). Combine the superior defense with the better quarterback (Garrett Nussmeier), and Brian Kelly’s squad is an appealing slight underdog.
Read our full LSU vs. Mississippi predictions.
Ohio State vs. Washington: Ohio State (-320)
The top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have an interesting cross-country trip to Seattle in Week 5. Ryan Day’s squad looks like an elite team again this season and will need to be disproven before expecting them to drop a game like this.
Read our full Ohio State vs. Washington predictions.
Alabama vs. Georgia: Georgia (-152)
Let’s not forget what the No. 17 Alabama Crimson Tide looked like in its lone game against a live opponent, getting blown out by Florida State. Kalen DeBoer hasn’t proven he can win with consistency without a star-studded passing attack, and Ty Simpson is still very much in “prove it” mode despite his numbers against overmatched opponents the last two games. Kirby Smart’s No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs squad has proven its merit in a battle with Tennessee.
Read our full Alabama vs. Georgia predictions.
Oregon vs. Penn State: Penn State (-166)
Line these teams up unit by unit, and the Penn State Nittany Lions hold several slight but distinct advantages. That’s enough for me to side with No. 3 Penn State despite James Franklin’s poor performance in big games. The Nittany Lions are elite on defense (second in EPA per play) and will put pressure on Dante Moore in a raucous environment at Beaver Stadium.
Read our full Oregon vs. Penn State predictions.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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