The calendar flips to Week 9 of the college football season, bringing several intriguing games with three ranked-on-ranked matchups and arguably the top Group of 5 showdown of the year.
Which team will come out on top in this weekend’s biggest games?
Week 9 college football moneyline picks
| Matchup | Pick |
|---|---|
 South Florida vs  Memphis |
(-205) |
 Mississippi vs  Oklahoma |
(-210) |
 BYU vs  Iowa State |
(+122) |
 Missouri vs  Vanderbilt |
(-138) |
 Illinois vs  Washington |
(-176) |
 Texas vs  Mississippi State |
(-275) |
 Texas A&M vs  LSU |
(+120) |
 Michigan vs  Michigan State |
(-630) |
Lines courtesy of FanDuel as of 10-22.
Expert Week 9 CFB moneyline picks
South Florida vs Memphis: South Florida (-205)
The No. 18 South Florida Bulls look like the best Group of Five team in the land, but Alex Golesh’s squad will need to bring their A-game against a 6-1 Memphis Tigers team whose only loss came a week ago to UAB. The Bulls are a force on offense (6.7 yards per play) and have a nasty defensive front (11th in stuff rate), so I’m not picking against them any time soon.
Mississippi vs Oklahoma: Oklahoma (-210)
The No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners are 6-1 and are only improving as quarterback John Mateer returns to health. Their disruptive front (first in front seven havoc) should give a mediocre No. 8 Mississippi Rebels offensive line fits, and Mississippi’s defense (108th in success rate) is the worst unit in this game by a mile.
BYU vs Iowa State: BYU (+122)
It wasn’t long ago that the Iowa State Cyclones were in the same spot as the No. 11 BYU Cougars are in now — as an undefeated, and perceivably overrated, Big 12 frontrunner. Iowa State is supposed to win this game at home coming off a bye, but I’m not counting BYU out so easily. The Cougars are the better offensive (30th in success rate) and defensive (17th in EPA per play allowed) team.
Missouri vs Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt (-138)
Do the No. 10 Vanderbilt Commodores still have Diego Pavia? If the answer is yes, then I’m not picking against them. The No. 15 Missouri Tigers are a tough out, ranking Top 15 in success rate on both sides of the ball, but this is a tricky spot as a second consecutive road game coming off an overtime thriller in Jordan-Hare to face a sizzling Vandy team.
Illinois vs Washington: Washington (-176)
The No. 23 Illinois Illini have been Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so they could perceivably show up to Seattle and pull off the upset. I don’t like the fact that they’re crossing multiple time zones, and I don’t like that their defense (123rd in EPA per play allowed) is the worst unit on the field. Quarterback Demond Williams (9.7 yards per attempt) is a star, and he’ll bounce back from the Michigan disappointment following a bye.
Texas vs Mississippi State: Texas (-275)
The No. 22 Texas Longhorns are on weekly upset alert given the putrid state of the offense (112th in success rate). The offensive line can’t block (116th in stuff rate), and Arch Manning has more turnover-worthy passes (11) than big-time throws (10). Still, the Mississippi State Bulldogs have lost 15 straight SEC games, so I’m not sure this is the spot where the Longhorns get buried by their deficiencies.
Texas A&M vs LSU: LSU (+122)
Tough spot for the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies, coming off a 45-42 battle in Fayetteville in a game that was delayed, to face the No. 20 LSU Tigers in Death Valley for a night game. LSU has shown improvement offensively, averaging at least 6.6 yards per play in each of its last two games, and has a nasty enough defense (14.6 ppg) to make things interesting.
Michigan vs Michigan State: Michigan (-630)
The Michigan State Spartans just haven’t been effective enough on either side of the ball (89th in success rate offensively, 128th defensively) to expect an upset. The only two losses that the No. 25 Michigan Wolverines have suffered came to Oklahoma and USC, who have a combined record of 11-3.
Covers college football betting tools
- College football odds
- College football picks
- CFB National Championship odds
- Best football betting sites
- This week’s CFB matchups
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
