Week 7 College Football Best Bets, Picks and Predictions from Wes Reynolds:
Let’s take a look at my Week 7 college football best bets:
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Washington at Iowa (-2.5; 42)
Saturday, 12:00 p.m. ET
The Huskies got a very small piece of redemption from last year’s National Championship Game loss by knocking off Michigan last week. Washington actually lost the lead heading into the fourth quarter, but they were able to pull away for a 27-17 victory.
This week, Washington travels to Iowa City to face an Iowa club that hung in at Ohio State for a half before being run out 35-7.
This is a tough travel spot for Washington, as it has proven to be for the rest of the conference. While it is a short sample size, teams in the Big Ten are 1-8 this season when traveling two or more time zones in conference play (Indiana’s win at UCLA is the only outlier). Furthermore, Washington is playing its seventh straight week.
Typically, Iowa has the special teams advantage over about every opponent, but the advantage is especially pronounced when you consider Washington’s kicking issues, especially with PK Grady Gross, who is just 9-for-15 on field goal attempts this season.
Kirk Ferentz is 60-40-2 ATS coming off a SU loss and is 25-12-1 ATS as a single-digit favorite over last 11 years.
Week 7 College Football Best Bet: Iowa -140 ML
Arizona at #14 BYU (-4; 49.5)
Saturday, 4:00 p.m. ET
BYU has been one of the college football season’s early surprises, starting out 5-0, and yet they are still just the seventh choice to win the Big XII at 14/1.
The Cougars won at SMU when the Mustangs were in the midst of a QB change and beat Kansas State despite being outgained 367-241 due to being +3 in the turnover margin and having a punt return touchdown.
BYU has been improved, but they are also a little bit of smoke and mirrors.
Arizona has been a bit “Jekyll and Hyde” in Brent Brennan’s first season. They get blown out at Kansas State and then come off a bye week to win at Utah (without Cameron Rising), and last week, they lost at home in Tuscon to Texas Tech.
While BYU ranks Top 6 nationally in completion percentage allowed (51.03%) and yards per pass (5.2), Arizona represents by far the most potent passing attack that they have faced.
Kalani Sitake is just 15-20 ATS as a home favorite in his ninth season in Provo.
Week 7 College Football Best Bet: Arizona +4
#9 Ole Miss (-3.5; 62) at #13 LSU
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sometimes, when a team loses early in the college football season, they are a little bit “out of sight, out of mind.” That could be what has happened to LSU. Since losing the opener in Las Vegas to USC, the Tigers have won four in a row (granted, not exactly against world-beaters).
Now the Tigers host Ole Miss, who is playing its seventh consecutive week. Ole Miss has not played a monster schedule either, as the only good opponent they played, Kentucky, beat them on Homecoming weekend in Oxford.
It will be difficult for LSU to run the ball on Ole Miss, considering the Rebels’ defense rate second nationally in yards per rush (1.9) and third nationally in yards per game (71.2). However, the Rebels rank just 81st in opponent completion percentage (62.5%), and LSU is by far the best passing attack with the best QB (Garrett Nussmeier) they have faced by a mile.
LSU’s pass defense has been permissible in its own right, ranking 99th nationally in pass yards/game (258.8).
This game could be decided by intangibles like penalties, where Ole Miss ranks 132nd (89.4 penalty yards per game).
Brian Kelly is 15-5-1 ATS as a home dog in his career (35-17-2 as an underdog overall).
Week 7 College Football Best Bet: LSU +3.5
Oregon State (-3.5; 47.5) at Nevada
Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Trent Bray has Oregon State out to a 4-1 start, including a 39-31 double OT victory last week over Colorado State.
However, the schedule has not been all that arduous, with victories over Idaho State, at San Diego State, Purdue, and Colorado State.
Now the Beavers travel to Reno to face a 2-4 Nevada team that probably should be 5-1 as they led SMU by double digits in the fourth quarter, lost to Georgia Southern despite an over 200-yard edge, and were defeated in the final seconds at San Jose State last weekend.
Former Montana State head coach and, most recently, Texas co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate has been a big coaching upgrade over Ken Wilson, and this Wolfpack team is better than its record.
Week 7 College Football Best Bet: Nevada +3.5
Minnesota (-5.5; 40) at UCLA
Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET
The Golden Gophers beat the Los Angeles college football varsity last week by upsetting USC, 24-17. Now they make the trek to Los Angeles to play a 1-4 UCLA team that is essentially the JV in the City of Angels right now.
UCLA started its season at Hawaii and came out with a close victory, but then has proceeded to play the toughest schedule in the country, facing four teams that currently rank in the Top 18 in the nation: Indiana (#18), at LSU (#13), Oregon (#3), and at Penn State (#4). To use a horse racing term, this is a ‘drop-in-class’ for UCLA.
Minnesota is playing its seventh game in seven weeks. The Gophers played Iowa, at Michigan, and USC in the last three weeks. You could also say this is a ‘drop in class’ for Minnesota, but complacency tends to come more often off a victory than a defeat.
The Bruins were able to run the ball a bit better at Penn State last week. Despite only scoring 11 points, Justyn Martin did give them a little spark at QB in place of Ethan Garbers, who is back practicing this week.
The more desperate team against a team off an upset victory and in a tough travel situation should be able to hang in here.
Week 7 College Football Best Bet: UCLA +5.5
BEST OF THE REST
Buffalo +10 vs. Toledo
Arkansas State/Texas State Over 65
Kansas State/Colorado Under 56.5
Other bets will be available all weekend at VSiN.com/picks.
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