College Football Week 6 Odds, Predictions & Best Bets To Back Today
We’re through the first full month of and the College Football Playoff picture remains wide open.
Seventeen of the top 25 teams in the country are undefeated, including all top nine squads in the AP Poll. And we’ll get some more answers this week with several unbeatens squaring off in conference play.
No. 12 Oklahoma and No. 3 Texas get the party started at noon Saturday in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, along with a pair of Big Ten unbeatens with Maryland taking on No. 4 Ohio State. And the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs are set to host unbeaten No. 20 Kentucky at 7 p.m. for a night cap.
That’s just a small sample of this week’s action on and , with a wild 2023 season continuing to take shape in Week 6.
College Football Week 6 Odds
College Football Week 6 Best Bets
Oklahoma at Texas (-6)
The stakes for this year’s Red River Rivalry are high as can be, with both the Sooners and Longhorns unbeaten at 5-0 and coming off blowout wins. This game always means a little extra, but that’s especially the case with major conference and College Football Playoff implications on both sides.
Texas is a one-score favorite according to oddsmakers, but these teams are very similar on paper. The Sooners have performed slightly better on offense, while the Longhorns’ defense is a little sharper than their rivals. The total is nearly up to 60 and this has Game of the Week written all over it.
Best Bet:
Maryland at Ohio State (-19.5)
The Terrapins are off to a 5-0 start behind quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, including a pair of blowout Big Ten wins over Michigan State and Indiana. Unfortunately, Maryland now heads to Columbus to take on a Buckeyes squad fully rested after a bye week and presumably recovered from that slugfest at Notre Dame.
The Buckeyes are three-score favorites behind a lockdown defense and the Terrapins haven’t faced a test like this all season. Not even close. But Ohio State has struggled at times on offense, and we’ll learn a ton about both teams Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
Best Bet:
LSU (-6.5) at Missouri
The Bayou Bengals are reeling at 3-2 after coming up short in a thriller at Ole Miss, with the Rebels scoring a 55-49 win. LSU can’t afford another loss this season in order to keep its CFP dreams alive, but there’s another tough challenge this week at unbeaten Missouri.
The Tigers don’t exactly look like world beaters, but they’re 5-0 and coming off a 38-21 win over Vanderbilt. Missouri is excellent against the rush and this looks like another showcase game for LSU QB Jayden Daniels, who threw for a 414 yards and four touchdowns in a losing effort last week.
Best Bet:
Washington State at UCLA (-4)
Both teams are coming off a bye week and should be at their best Saturday afternoon for another huge Pac-12 matchup. This conference race is wide open in a league packed with star QBs and talented ball teams. The Cougars got an early leg up there with a big win over Oregon State two weeks ago, but they’re getting more than a field goal as road underdogs Saturday at the Rose Bowl.
UCLA fought hard in a 14-7 loss to Utah the last time out, and the Bruins have a chance to get right back in the race with a big showing over the Cougars.
Best Bet:
Alabama (-3) at Texas A&M
The Tide continue to build back after a Week 2 home loss to Texas, ripping off three straight wins including last week’s 40-17 blowout at Mississippi State. But oddsmakers have this as close as can be, with the Tide favored by a field goal on the road.
A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was on the hot seat entering the year and has fired back in style, with impressive wins over Arkansas and Auburn to start 2-0 in conference play. Alabama has won nine of the last 10 matchups against the Aggies, but the Tide fell short in a 41-38 loss during their last trip to College Station in 2021 – the lone regular season loss for Alabama.
Best Bet:
Syracuse at North Carolina (-8.5)
Speaking of coaches on the hot seat, Syracuse’s Dino Babers isn’t done yet after leading the Orange to a 4-1 start. They competed hard for four quarters in a 31-14 loss to Clemson last week, and they’ve got a chance to make a big statement this week at North Carolina.
The Tar Heels are 4-0 and favored by just more than a touchdown off a bye week. That extra rest always helps, but Syracuse has a nasty defense and this should be a thrilling conference matchup in Chapel Hill.
Best Bet:
Kentucky at Georgia (-14.5)
Georgia got all it could handle in last week’s road game at Auburn, escaping with a 27-20 win on a 40-yard touchdown from tight end Brock Bowers in the final minutes. The Bulldogs have now won 22 consecutive games, and oddsmakers like them to make it 23 this weekend as two-touchdown favorites over Kentucky.
Nobody is talking about the 5-0 Wildcats, but they should be after a highly-impressive 33-14 win over Florida in Week 5. The Bulldogs haven’t blinked yet, but they look more vulnerable than the last two National Championship squads and this could be a closer-than-expected matchup at Sanford Stadium.
Best Bet:
Notre Dame (-6.5) at Louisville
The big concern for Notre Dame this season was a brutal schedule, and it already bit the Irish once in a 17-14 home loss to Ohio State. They responded well with a 21-14 road win against a scrappy Duke team Saturday, and they have another tough road game this week at Cardinal Stadium.
Louisville is off to a very quiet 5-0 start, most recently showing off on defense in a 13-10 win over North Carolina State. The Cardinals are giving almost a full touchdown here, and the Irish can’t afford any more slip-ups without a potential conference championship game on the horizon.
