Top College Football Odds and Best Bets Today (Predictions and Picks for Colorado-USC, East Carolina-Cincinnati)

College football takes center stage on Friday night with some impact teams in action.

USC is the biggest name on the card on Friday night, laying 34.5 points against one win Colorado at home this weekend in hopes of bolstering their standing ahead of a trip across town to UCLA next week. Before that, East Carolina travels to face Cincinnati in AAC action that will have a big impact on who goes to the Conference Championship game.

Here are two plays on the two primetime college football games on Friday night:

East Carolina vs. Cincinnati Prediction and Pick

The original lookahead line opened with the Bearcats as 10.5-point favorites so the current number of 4.5 is significantly down.

Cincinnati has a terrible record against the spread this season at 2-6-1; tied with Tulsa, Colorado, Stanford and Boston College for the second-fewest ATS victories in 2022. They were one of my favorite teams to fade early on this year, because last season was baked into many lines set this year. In reality, most of the main contributors from that playoff team are gone. 10.5 was way too many against a good ECU team, but at 4.5 that is a different story. 

Cincinnati is a pass-first offense this season. Last week, Ben Bryant threw for 299 and two touchdowns on Navy, and will have an even better day against the Pirates this week. ECU allows 264.0 yards per game through the air, which ranks 107th in the country. 

It's also worth nothing that East Carolina is 0-6 ATS in their last six trips to Western Ohio.

Make sure you shop around and find the best number, but I really love Cincinnati at 4.5 or 5. -- Josh Yourish

Pick: Cincinnati -4.5 (-115)

Colorado vs. USC Prediction and Pick

I’m not sure if you noticed in the betting trends section just above, but there is one thing that really stands out: points. The over is a heavy trend with these two teams, especially in this situation. USC routinely goes over against bad teams and Colorado against good ones. The Buffs are 128th in total defense this season and USC is 95th. 

Just last week, USC allowed 35 points to Cal, a team that averages just 24.7 points per game. Their defense has been opportunistic and created turnovers this year, but they are not stout. Riley still needs time to develop his defense into a playoff caliber unit, but naturally the offense came first for him. That means points will be scored in this one. 

Caleb Williams is one of the best quarterbacks in the country, he has thrown for 28 touchdowns and just one interception. Only one pick on 316 attempts is ridiculous and not only shows his ability, but the play-calling prowess of Lincoln Riley. Williams will have a big day against one of the worst defenses in the country and instead of worrying about the Trojans covering a massive spread, let’s just root for points and take the over. -- Josh Yourish

Pick: Over 65.5 (-110)

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.