College Football Betting Odds Week 7: Picks Against the Spread for Top 25 Schedule
The most anticipated game of the 2023 college football season to date takes place in Seattle on Saturday.
The Washington Huskies and Oregon Ducks face off in a battle of Top 10 teams in the Pac-12 that features two of the three favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.
A quarterback duel between Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix is expected on Saturday afternoon, so the contest could come down to which team gets one or two key stops.
Washington possesses the slight edge because it is playing at home, but Oregon has had the better defense so far this season.
The marquee clash in the Pac-12 is the headliner of the Week 7 schedule, and once it finishes, all eyes will turn to South Bend and Chapel Hill for two games that could thin out the list of College Football Playoff contenders.
For the latest lines on these games, go to DraftKings.
Saturday, October 14
No. 1 Georgia (-31.5) at Vanderbilt (Noon ET, CBS)
Indiana at No. 2 Michigan (-34) (Noon ET, Fox)
No. 3 Ohio State (-19) at Purdue (Noon ET, Peacock)
Syracuse at No. 4 Florida State (-17.5) (Noon ET, ABC)
Arkansas at No. 11 Alabama (-20) (Noon ET, ESPN)
California at No. 16 Utah (-11.5) (3 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Massachusetts at No. 6 Penn State (-41.5) (3:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 8 Oregon at No. 7 Washington (-3) (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Texas A&M at No. 19 Tennessee (-3) (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 23 Kansas (-3) at Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m. ET, FS1)
No. 14 Louisville (-7.5) at Pittsburgh (6:30 p.m. ET, CW Network)
Arizona at No. 19 Washington State (-7.5) (7 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network)
Auburn at No. 22 LSU (-11.5) (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 10 USC at No. 21 Notre Dame (-2.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
No. 25 Miami at No. 12 North Carolina (-3.5) (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Missouri at No. 24 Kentucky (-2) (7:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network)
No. 18 UCLA at No. 15 Oregon State (-3.5) (8 p.m. ET, Fox)
NC State at No. 17 Duke (-3) (8 p.m. ET, ACC Network)
Offensive fireworks are expected in Week 7's marquee game because both Oregon and Washington average over 550 total yards per game.
The Ducks' most notable performance was their 42-6 thumping of the Colorado Buffaloes at home. The Huskies looked like an elite team against a below average set of opponents.
Saturday serves as the first true test for both sides to see how they measure up against a CFB playoff contender.
Penix enters as the Heisman Trophy betting favorite. Nix is third behind the Washington lefty and USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams.
Oregon has better defensive numbers. It conceded 22 points over the last three games and held its last two opponents to single-digit point totals.
However, Washington is the best offense Oregon has faced, and the home-field advantage inside Husky Stadium could be too much for the Ducks to handle.
All of the big games so far in the Pac-12 season have been won by the home team, with the latest triumph coming from the UCLA Bruins over the Washington State Cougars in Week 6.
Washington produced its two largest point totals of the 2023 season at home, and the crowd could be the X-factor in holding the visitors to a field goal, or a total stop, on certain drives.
The rivalry clash between USC and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish was the marquee game on the Week 7 slate when the 2023 schedule came out.
Saturday's matchup in South Bend still carries plenty of significance, but Notre Dame's Week 6 loss to the Louisville Cardinals took some shine off the contest.
Notre Dame is at the end of a brutal four-game stretch that started with a loss on the last play at home against the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Irish then beat the Duke Blue Devils in a close game and lost on the road to Louisville.
Marcus Freeman's team likely will not make the CFB Playoff with two losses, but it could play spoiler against USC, win out and potentially qualify for a New Years' Six bowl.
Notre Dame holds the clear edge on defense. USC's unit gives up 141.9 total yards per game more than the Irish defense.
USC's defensive flaws were on full display in its three-overtime win over the Arizona Wildcats in which it barely escaped with a two-point victory.
USC allowed at least 28 points to each of its last three opponents, and if it does the same against Sam Hartman and Co., Williams may not be able to rescue the Trojans.
Notre Dame only allows 146.6 passing yards per game and it held Ohio State's Kyle McCord without a touchdown pass three weeks ago.
The Trojans do not have a comparable defense, and this could be the week that specific weakness hurts them and drops them from the ranks of the unbeaten.
The Miami Hurricanes' visit to face the North Carolina Tar Heels had the potential to be a batter of unbeaten teams in the ACC.
But then the Hurricanes unraveled in the last minute against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on Saturday and have been the talk of the college football world for that collapse.
Miami comes into Chapel Hill on an emotional low, and if it is not focused, it could fall behind by multiple touchdowns early against Drake Maye and Co.
Maye, who has 1,629 passing yards and eight touchdowns this season, could use a big performance against Miami as a springboard to a potential Heisman Trophy candidacy.
Maye has been supported by a Tar Heels defense that appears to be much better than previous years under Mack Brown.
North Carolina held three of its five opponents under 20 points, and if it is able to frustrate Tyler Van Dyke and get a few timely stops, it can cruise to 6-0 and maybe end up in the Top 10 ahead of Week 8 depending on results elsewhere.
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