College Football Week 9 betting odds: Picking Top 25 teams against the spread
By Brad Rowland
No. 15 Michigan (-14) over Minnesota
The Wolverines are angry. Michigan had a miserable experience during their last football game, and with the benefit of a week off, Jim Harbaugh’s team has had a lot of time to stew. Beyond that, this is a terrible match-up for Minnesota.
Michigan has the best passing defense in the country, allowing 4.7 yards per attempt on the season. On the flip side, Minnesota’s passing offense is utterly brutal, to the point where they have only 1,360 passing yards (6.0 yards per attempt) in seven games. Add it all up, and I am taking a rare road favorite in Michigan. Something tells me Harbaugh and his crew won’t be taking their foot off the gas in the second half.
Kansas (+39) over No. 14 Oklahoma
I told myself I would never take Kansas again, but here I am breaking that promise. To be clear, I would not go anywhere near this game with jelly beans on the line, but in the same breath, I can’t possibly lay nearly 40 points with the Sooners. Oklahoma has burned everyone too many times as a big-time favorite in a letdown spot, and when in doubt, take the points every time. Even with Kansas.
Oregon State (+24) over No. 13 Utah
Oregon State is not a good football team in any way. We saw how crooked things could get for the Beavers in blowout losses to Arizona and Michigan, but with the Utes involved, I have real trouble believing that the spread should be this high. Make no mistake, I still believe in Utah in a big way despite the fact that Kyle Whittingham’s team laid an egg against USC, but this is a team built on the running game and a quality defensive front. That isn’t the recipe to cover big numbers and I have to take the points.
Texas Tech (+3) over No. 12 Oklahoma State
The world is on the Cowboys and that is what happens when a team is undefeated into late October. Still, Oklahoma State has not played a soul to this point in the campaign, and I’m not entirely sure that Mike Gundy’s team is even better than Texas Tech on a neutral field. Wait, wait and wait some more as the public hammers the Cowboys to raise the line, but I’m on the Red Raiders as one of my favorite plays of the week.
Georgia (+3) over No. 11 Florida
Weird stuff happens in Jacksonville. Always. Florida is better than Georgia this season, but in this rivalry, that does not mean a whole lot, and this might as well be the Super Bowl for Mark Richt and the Bulldogs. I expect to see a lot of Sony Michel in this spot, and Florida’s offense is still something of a question mark in the post-Will Grier era. Give me the points and ride the weird factor.
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