College football Week 7 predictions: Best bets, picks against the spread

This IS a reminder that Sunday can’t compete with Saturday come fall. 

This will be the best week of the college football season thus far, featuring six matchups of ranked teams, including four games between top 15 programs. 

The day begins with No. 4 Ohio State facing No. 5 Indiana in a meeting of the past two national champions.

Several high-stakes battles will come in the SEC, headlined by No. 6 Alabama’s trip to No. 14 Tennessee. 

But no team has more to prove than No. 2 Notre Dame. 

The Fighting Irish have won 16 straight games —setting a program record by winning each game by double digits — but they have faced only two ranked teams during their streak. Their most recent game against a team ranked inside the top 20 ended with a home loss to Texas A&M last season. The week prior, Notre Dame lost its season opener at Miami in their most recent game against a top 20 team on the road. 

The Irish currently look the part of a national championship contender, but their first true test in more than 13 months comes in a uniquely challenging environment against No. 8 BYU at the high altitude of LaVell Edwards Stadium, where fans will see a top 10 matchup there for the first time, and the Cougars have covered six of their past seven games as an underdog. 

BYU (+10.5) — which is 5-0 against the spread this season, 7-3 in their past 10 games as an underdog and 40-4 in night games since 2019 — will have a tough time pulling an upset without star running back LJ Martin, but Kalani Sitake’s defense can drag the Irish into a slugfest, making the Irish sweat on a cool night in Provo. 

Florida (+11.5) over TEXAS

The Gators have been embarrassed in back-to-back weeks, allowing a combined 83 points to Missouri and South Carolina. But there is no reason to believe that Arch “I would be a third-round pick if my name wasn’t” Manning can exploit the SEC’s worst pass defense. 

Ohio State (-3.5) over INDIANA

The best player in the country (Jeremiah Smith) is built to quiet crazed crowds, having put up 370 receiving yards and three touchdowns in two tougher environments (Texas, Iowa) this season. The Hoosiers still don’t know if they can trust Josh Hoover (0-3 all time against top-15 teams) and the reigning champs have shown signs of slippage in recent performances against Nebraska and Northwestern. The 22-game win streak will come to an end. 

LSU (-14.5) over Mississippi State

The Tigers — who have won their three home games by nearly 34 points per game — could beat the spread even if Kamario Taylor (questionable) suits up. Without him, the Bulldogs will be forced to throw redshirt freshman Parker Puckett to the Tigers for his first start in Death Valley. 

Penn State (+6.5) over MICHIGAN

There are several reasons the Wolverines should consider a quarterback change, considering the offense ranks 108th in total yards and has scored under 20 points in all but one game (UTEP). But there are 12.5 million reasons why Michigan continues to stick with Bryce Underwood (176 passing yards per game, 59.3 percent completion rate, six turnovers). 

Auburn (+20.5) over GEORGIA

For three straight years, the unranked Tigers have put up a fight against the top 10 Bulldogs, twice jumping out to double-digit leads. While Auburn enjoyed last week off, the Bulldogs could be due for a letdown, nursing the hangover from their primetime win at Alabama. 

Arizona State (+14.5) over TEXAS TECH

The Red Raiders should cruise to victory, but nothing has come easy for this roster built by a billionaire oilman, still dining out on last year’s achievements. Texas Tech has failed to cover two of three home games this season. 

OLE MISS (-6) over Missouri

As if any more evidence was needed for why the Rebels chose Trinidad Chambliss. Austin Simmons has been excellent this season, but the former Ole Miss starter returns to Oxford facing an unfamiliar level of pressure and emotion against an opposing coach (Pete Golding) who used to plan against him in practices. The Tigers have lost seven straight road games against ranked SEC teams by an average of nearly 15 points per game. 

Alabama (-8.5) over TENNESSEE

This is a massive number to lay at Neyland Stadium — where the Vols have won the past two meetings between the rivals — but Tennessee doesn’t have the offensive stability or ammunition to keep pace with Keelon Russell, who will expose a defense that hasn’t faced a top 45 attack yet. 

Florida State (+21.5) over MIAMI

For the 11th time in the past 13 meetings, the rivalry that was once the nation’s best will feature at least one unranked team. Still, eight of those encounters were decided by single digits, including last year’s matchup between the seven-loss Seminoles and the national title game participant. 

Kentucky (+6.5) over OKLAHOMA

You never walk away from a table when you’re on a heater. Will Stein — the first-year coach who boasted before the season that he believed Kentucky could defy history and win big in the SEC “because of [him]” — has backed it up with back-to-back walk-off wins on 2-point conversions. Unlike Texas, Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey (11 touchdowns, one interception) will make the nation’s No. 118 offense earn its points. 

Oklahoma State (+4.5) over HOUSTON

If the Cowboys can’t pull the upset, Heisman sleeper Drew Mestemaker and the nation’s seventh-ranked offense won’t have trouble finding the back door against the Cougars’ mediocre secondary. 

Wisconsin (+2.5) over UCLA

I didn’t envision betting against Bob Chesney, but the season-ending injury to Nico Iamaleava changes the equation. The undefeated Bruins already faced a new challenge following their biggest win in years and their greatest strength — the nation’s sixth-ranked ground game — could be neutralized by the Badgers’ elite run defense, which can overload the box without fear against inexperienced transfer Ty Dieffenbach, who threw for the same number of touchdowns and interceptions during his lone season as a starter at lower-level Cal Poly. 

Utah (-15.5) over COLORADO

Next week, the Utes can prove their undefeated start is for real against Houston. For now, continue riding first-year coach Morgan Scalley, whose team has covered its first five games — winning by an average of nearly 30 points per game — and enters a prime spot against an inept offense averaging 10 points against power conference opponents. 

Get the lowdown on the Best USA Sports Betting Sites and Apps

OREGON (-7.5) over Nebraska

Before defeating one of the worst teams in the Big Ten (Michigan State), the Cornhuskers had lost six straight games at road venues seating at least 48,000 fans. Welcome to Autzen Stadium, where the Ducks haven’t lost to an unranked team in a decade and had won 47 of their previous 50 home games before committing seven turnovers in a two-point loss without their starting quarterback to undefeated UCLA. 

Best bets: Penn State, Auburn, Kentucky 

This season: 50-40 (12-6 best bets)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Howie Kussoy has long been the New York Post’s main handicapper in college basketball (since 2011) and college football (since 2013).