College football Week 10 best bets: Missouri vs. Georgia; Washington vs. USC; LSU vs. Alabama

With the first College Football Playoff Top 25 poll of the season released Tuesday night, we now where everyone stands heading into the most important month of the season.

This Saturday, there are four games where Top 25 teams are playing each other, including two massive SEC matchups – one in each the Eastern and Western divisions.

Everything is at stake in Week 10 of the season, as winning gets you closer and losing all but sinks your CFP chances.

FrontPageBets takes a look at its top three games and best bets for this weekend’s college football slate.

No. 12 Missouri vs. No. 2 Georgia predictions: Tigers +15.5 (-110) and Under 55.5 (-110)

While Georgia has been dominating the college football world the last three seasons, there’s another SEC East team that has quietly been making its way up the rankings.

The Missouri Tigers are now 12th in the CFP poll with a 7-1 record, losing only to No. 13 LSU at the beginning of October.

On Saturday, Missouri will head to Athens, Ga., to face the two-time defending champion and undefeated Georgia Bulldogs in a huge divisional game. If Georgia wins, it’ll retain its inside track on another conference title. But, if the Tigers pull off the upset, things will get very, very interesting.

The Dawgs enter as a 15.5-point favorite, having only covered the spread twice in eight games so far this season. Missouri, meanwhile, is 5-3 against the spread – but this is the first time the Tigers have been double-digit underdogs all season.

Both offenses are in the top four in the SEC, as UGA is No. 2 averaging 506.5 yards and 40.5 points per game. Mizzou is fourth in the conference, averaging 443 yards and 33.9 points per game.

Georgia’s defense is again in the top 10 in the country, giving up 272.1 yards and less than 15 points on average, while Missouri allows nearly 340 yards and 23.3 points per game.

In 12 all-time meetings, Missouri has only beaten Georgia once, and that was 10 years ago.

Saturday, the Tigers will put up a fight, but it won’t be enough against the Bulldogs.

• Kickoff: 3:30 p.m.; Saturday
• TV: CBS
• The pick: Georgia, 31-17

No. 5 Washington vs. No. 20 USC predictions: Huskies -3.5 (-110) & Over 76.5 (-110)

If you like offense, then this Pac-12 ditty is for you.

The undefeated Washington Huskies, 8-0 and ranked No. 5 in the nation, will travel to face Pac-12 rival USC, which is a disappointing 7-2 and all but out of the College Football Playoff and conference race.

Washington, however, is not only playing for a conference title and a spot in the Final Four, its quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is the front-runner for the Heisman Trophy. And to win it, he’ll have to put on another show against the reigning Heisman winner, Trojans QB Caleb Williams.

That’s right, two of the best quarterbacks in the nation will be slinging it all over the Los Angeles Coliseum on Saturday night.

Penix leads the nation in passing yards, throwing for 2,945 through eight games this season. Williams is second in the country, 299 yards behind the Washington quarterback. They are both also in the top two in touchdown passes, with Williams holding the edge with 25 to Penix’s 24.

Both teams are averaging over 40 points per game – USC is second in the nation at 45.9 points per game, while Washington is No. 9 at 40.4.

The issue in this one will be defense, as neither unit can stop anyone. The Huskies are 96th in the country in total defense, giving up an average of 400.8 yards per game, while USC is 111th, allowing 420.9 yards per outing.

This game will come down to whichever quarterback has the ball last.

• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m.; Saturday
• TV: ABC
• The pick: Washington, 42-38

No. 14 LSU vs. No. 8 Alabama predictions: Crimson Tide -3 (-110) & Under 60.5 (-110)

Speaking of Heisman hopefuls, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels is also firmly in the conversation for the top player in the country.

And Daniels will lead his 6-2 LSU squad into Tuscaloosa on Saturday night to face the 7-1 Alabama Crimson Tide.

Daniels is tied with Williams for most touchdown passes this season with 25 over eight games. He also has thrown for 2,573 yards, which is fourth-best in FBS. A win over Alabama could vault Daniels into the top spot on the odds boards for Heisman. He’s currently third.

With the SEC West still up for grabs, the winner of this game over the last five years has gone on to play in the conference title game. And while LSU won the game last year, 32-31 in overtime, Alabama has won 10 of the last 12 in this series, which includes the national championship game in 2012.

While the stats point to this being a high-scoring game – LSU is averaging more than 47 points per game, while Alabama is scoring 30-plus – it’ll be the defenses that are on display, in what could be an old-school SEC West slugfest.

Alabama is giving up less than 17 points per game and is tied for eighth in the country in sacks, racking up 28 so far this season.

If this one does turn into a defensive battle, Nick Saban has the edge. Always.

• Kickoff: 7:45 p.m.; Saturday
• TV: CBS
• The pick: Alabama, 24-20

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