College Football Week 9 betting odds: Top 5 matchups to watch and best sportsbook promo codes for football

Akron Beacon Journal

27 October 2023

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Another jam-packed schedule of college football action is on tap in Week 9, and you can redeem our best football betting promo codes to earn up to $4,900 in bonuses.

Despite a road loss to Washington, Oregon remains in the hunt for the College Football Playoff after taking down Washington State 38-24 in Week 8. The Ducks offense was on fire in the win as Bo Nix threw for 293 yards and two touchdowns, while Bucky Irving and Jordan James combined for 232 rushing yards.

Oregon leads the nation in average offensive yardage and ranks second in points per game, but faces a stern test vs. a Utah defense that ranks 11th in FBS in points allowed. The Utes are feeling themselves after beating USC 34-32 thanks to a walk-off field goal by Cole Becker.

However, Utah got bad news after the game when Kyle Whittingham told the media that Cam Rising would not suit up this season after severely injuring his knee in the 2023 Rose Bowl. Rising tossed 26 touchdowns and 3,034 yards during the Utes 2022 Pac-12 Championship campaign.

Utah’s offense has been lackluster in Rising’s absence but has scored 34 points in back-to-back victories.

The Bulldogs and Gators renew acquaintances in Jacksonville for a rivalry game formerly known as The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Georgia has dominated Florida in recent seasons, winning five of the last six matchups, and four of the victories were by double digits.

Georgia has been a well-oiled machine in its pursuit of a third-straight National Championship, but a new set of challenges arise with Brock Bowers expected to miss significant time due to a Week 7 injury. Bowers leads the team in receiving yards and touchdown catches by a wide margin, forcing Kirby Smart to search for another playmaker to step up while Bowers is away.

Florida looked abysmal in a Week 1 loss to Utah but has rebounded well, going 5-1 since the setback. Graham Mertz is finally figuring things out in Gainesville, and the Gators defense promises to keep this a tight matchup while Georgia scrambles to replace Bowers’ production.

Duke held a three-point lead over No. 4 Florida State in the third quarter of Week 8 until Riley Leonard exited the game with an ankle injury. With Leonard sidelined, the Seminoles rattled off 21 unanswered points to beat the Blue Devils 38-20.

Leonard is crucial to Duke’s offense, and if he’s able to suit up, the Blue Devils are more than capable of defeating Louisville on the road this weekend. Head coach Mike Elko said the QB will be day-to-day leading up to the game.

Louisville was on top of the world after taking it to Notre Dame in a 33-20 victory but fell flat the following week in a 17-point loss to Pittsburgh. Florida State is the only remaining team without a conference loss, meaning Duke and Louisville still have a shot to qualify for the ACC Championship.

This game seems like a sure-fire blowout on the surface, but with Quinn Ewers out following a shoulder injury, Texas is relying on true freshman Maalik Murphy for the foreseeable future. At 6-foot-5 and 238 pounds, Murphy looks the part and has a rocket arm on deep throws.

However, there’s a chance the 19-year-old experiences a steep learning curve in his first start. Murphy benefits from working with one of the nation’s top pass-catching groups, led by Xavier Worthy’s 545 yards and four touchdowns.

BYU is 5-2 in its first season in the Big 12 but is 2-2 vs. conference foes. The Cougars ride high into Austin following a 27-14 victory vs. Texas Tech.

Brent Venables struggled in his first season at Oklahoma, posting a 3-6 record against Big 12 teams. But things are looking up in Norman thanks to the Sooners’ spotless 7-0 record, highlighted by a win over Texas in the Red River Rivalry.

Oklahoma nearly lost all its hard-earned momentum last week when it trailed UFC by six in the fourth quarter. But two OU touchdowns and a missed two-point conversion from the Knights rewarded Oklahoma with a two-point win.

Kansas has an opportunity to notch its biggest victory in years on Saturday and will have home-field advantage on its side. QB Jalon Daniels has missed the Jayhawks’ last three matchups with a back injury and is questionable to suit up vs. Oklahoma.

If Daniels can play, Kansas will have a tremendous shot at upsetting the Sooners.

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