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College Football Picks Against The Spread Early October 10

By Mike Marteny

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There are 55 FBS vs. FBS games in week 6. 18 of those make up the early slate on Saturday.

In case you don’t know what I do here, I pick every college football game of the season. Against the spread. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds! I take the average of the odds from all of the Vegas casinos. I then round to the nearest half. There will be no ties here. Ties are for the other football (soccer).

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I had a much better week in week 5. It was a good enough week that I got back in the black on my overall picks (127-124) and my points scale (+4). In case you missed how the point scale works, here is a brief rundown:

5. A lock. I am comfortable making a sizable wager on this game.

4. Very confident. Not quite a lock, but I am comfortable making a decent sized wager on it.

3. Middle of the road. Good enough that I would make a small wager on it.

2. Could go either way. So much so that I wouldn’t bet on it.

1. Stay away from these.

Take note that any games that involve 1-AA teams will NOT be picked. There simply is not enough information to get an accurate spread.

All of the picks for the Saturday games will be up at least two hours before the noon kickoffs for those of you parlayers out there!

Until then, here are my college football picks against the spread early October 10:

Duke(-12.5) at Army(1): The talent level says that Duke should be able to cover this. Then again, Duke hasn’t exactly played up to expectations. Army played Penn State tough in Happy Valley. I will take them to stay close at home.

New Mexico State at (14)Mississippi(-44.5)(2): Too many. Ole Miss will call off the dogs long before it gets this far out of hand. This isn’t the early part of the season. They aren’t trying to get Kelly involved in the offense anymore. Now it’s about preserving your starters. They will here in a blowout.

UTEP at Florida International(-14.5)(1): I wouldn’t touch this with your money. Neither team has looked good at all. UTEP did before Aaron Jones got hurt, but they got blasted at home by UTSA last week. I guess I will take FIU, but I have zero confidence in it.

Middle Tennessee State at Western Kentucky(-8.5)(3): The Hilltopper offense has hit its stride since conference play started. The Blue Raiders will be powerless to stop it. Give em Western Kentucky.

Illinois at (22)Iowa(-10.5)(4): Illinois got shut down for 50 minutes by a below average Nebraska defense. Iowa is far from below average. They dominated Wisconsin at Camp Randall last week. So long as the offense doesn’t turn the ball over in plus territory, the Hawkeyes will have no problem covering this. Give me Iowa.

(3)Baylor(-44.5) at Kansas(3): I really hate lines this big, especially on the road. Then again, the only time Kansas wasn’t covered was by a pathetic Rutgers team. KU won’t win a game, and they are far and away the worst Power Five team. Baylor covers by halftime. I just hope they don’t give it up afterwards because I’m taking the Bears.

(10)Oklahoma(-16.5) vs. Texas at Dallas(4): Everything on paper points to blowout, but if I have learned anything in my decades of this rivalry, its that talent doesn’t always win. Texas has absolutely nothing to play for the rest of the year. They aren’t going to a bowl game. They are just trying to do enough to keep Charlie Strong from getting fired. Showing up for this game would go a long ways towards that. Mack Brown saved his job in this game three different times. I’m not saying Strong can here, but Texas shows up…….and still gets covered! BOOMER SOONER!

Maryland at (1)Ohio State(-33.5)(2): Too many. I know Maryland’s defense is worse than leftover anchovy pizza, but Ohio State hasn’t exactly dominated anyone. It’s unfortunate for the players how this whole thing with Randy Edsall is transpiring. I really don’t know what Maryland has to gain by ousting him six weeks into the season. I think the players rally. They won’t win this game, but they won’t lose this badly either. Give me Maryland.

Indiana at Penn State(-6.5)(3): With or without Sudfeld, Indiana is winning this game. Penn State was dominated by Temple at home earlier this year. Indiana’s offense is ten times better than Temple’s. Hoosiers straight up!

Tulane at Temple(-15.5)(3): The Wave have only hit the road once so far. The result? A 55 point loss at Georgia Tech. They get covered here too. Give me Temple.

Central Michigan at Western Michigan(-6.5)(2): My reasoning in this is simple: the Broncos stayed closer to Michigan State than the Chippewas did. Give me WMU at home.

Virginia at Pittsburgh(-9.5)(3): Pitt has adjusted to life without James Conner. They haven’t replaced him, but they have adapted, and are better than they have been at any point this season. I can’t say the same for Virginia. Give me Pitt.

Miami(OH) at Ohio(-16.5)(2): I don’t like this line, but Ohio should be able to cover this. They have looked much better than the Redhawks. Give me Ohio.

Massachusetts at Bowling Green(-13.5)(3): UMass is much improved, but this is by far the best offense they have faced this year. The Minutemen will put up some points, but I think the Falcons pull away late. Give me Bowling Green.

Rice at Florida Atlantic(-3.5)(2): This line opened at even, and would have been a lot harder to pick there. It has gone too far in one direction. This stays a three point game either way. Give me the Owls. Oh, I have to be more specific? Rice, then.

Wake Forest at Boston College(-7.5)(2): There is no question that the BC defense is among the best, but for as good as the defense is, the offense might be worse. They just aren’t covering a line of more than one score unless the defense scores twice. Give me Wake.

Akron(-7.5) at Eastern Michigan(1): The Eagles are coming home after a spirited fight in Baton Rouge. They aren’t nearly as bad as they have been in recent years, but they still can’t stop the run. Akron, I guess…..

Kent State at (24)Toledo(-14.5)(4): That half is the only reason the point value isn’t higher. This game won’t be close. Rockets win going away.

Stay tuned for the rest of the picks against the spread!

Next: ESPN College Pick Em Picks Week 6

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