BK’s College Football Bets: Week 9’s Best Bets
Every week, Rock M Nation will post the SEC betting lines for that week’s slate of games. DISCLAIMER: Rock M Nation is not an online gambling operator, nor a gambling site of any kind. We are simply here to provide information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only. None of the staff will be using this information for gambling purposes and are not liable for any losses incurred due to the analysis contained within.
Well, we had a strange week last week. We were on the right side of our leans with Mississippi State and Missouri. So, that was good. But our best bet was Tennessee. The Vols got out to a convincing 20-7 lead at the half and it felt like all was right in the world. No way they end up losing by double-digits after taking a two-score lead into halftime, right? Wrong. Because, of course. This is life betting on college sports, especially when you’re betting against Nick Saban. Alas, we’ll take the 2-1 week and move along.
It’s another relatively short slate in the SEC this week with Missouri, Alabama, LSU and Arkansas resting on their bye week. Let’s get to the picks.
WORTH A LOOK:
Vanderbilt (+25.5) @ Ole Miss — 6:30 pm on SEC Network
- Listen, I don’t enjoy taking Vanderbilt in these spots, either. But this line is simply too long. Vanderbilt has kept every game so far this season within 24 points. Ole Miss has only won one game against an FBS opponent this year by more than 17. I know Ole Miss is going to put up points on this Commodores defense that ranks among the bottom three in the SEC against both the pass and the run. But I also believe Vanderbilt will be able to move the ball at times against this Ole Miss defense. I think Ole Miss wins, and they do so by a wide margin. But I’ll take the Commodores to cover, 37-16.
Tennessee (-3.5) @ Kentucky — 6:00 pm on ESPN
- How, exactly, is Kentucky planning to move the ball against this Tennessee defense? The Vols have allowed a total of 770 rushing yards all season. The only team this season to average more than 4.3 yards per carry against Tennessee was, surprisingly, South Carolina. The vast majority of that production came on a 75-yard run by Mario Anderson. Kentucky certainly has the ability to add a big play here or there on the ground, but the Wildcats passing game has been anemic all season long. I don’t expect that to change against Tennessee. Give me the Vols in a slog of a smash-mouth football game, 24-16.
BK’S BEST BET:
Mississippi State (+5.5) @ Auburn — 2:30 on SEC Network
- I feel like I’ve been on Mississippi State every week this season, and it’s because I don’t think they’re getting enough respect from Vegas. Nobody is suggesting the Bulldogs are among the top 10 teams in America, but in the right matchup, they’re more than capable of making things interesting. Mississippi State beat a pretty darn good Arizona team in overtime. They kept things close against South Carolina. They took care of business in one of the ugliest games of the season last week at Arkansas. I expect more of the same on Saturday against Auburn. Neither of these teams has a particularly great passing game, but Mississippi State has the better run defense. This should be another slog of a game, but give me the Bulldogs in a slight upset, 24-23.
NO STRONG LEAN:
South Carolina @ Texas A&M (-13.5) — 11:00 am on ESPN
Georgia (-14.5) vs. Florida — 2:30 pm on CBS — Neutral Site in Jacksonville
Those are my picks for the week. All odds are provided by DraftKings. Which SEC teams will you be taking this week against the spread?
