Media by Associated Press – Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman (10) looks to pass against Boston College during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)
There are a handful of really big games this weekend in College Football as November begins. Let’s take a look at the top five teams to bet on in NCAA football.
Tennessee +8
This is the traditional offense vs. defense game. Georgia has a top defense, but they haven’t been challenged by an offense like Tennessee’s yet this season.
They gave up 22 points to Kent State and Missouri, while Florida scored 20 last week. Tennessee averages 50 points per game, and anything in the 30 range should get them a cover on Saturday.
Georgia wants to run the ball as they average 202 yards per game and 5.7 yards per rush on the season. If they fall behind early and have to put the ball in the hands of Stetson Bennett, that plays into the Vols’ game plan. Bennett was clutch down the stretch last season, but last week against Florida, he was just 19-of-38 and threw two interceptions.
Hendon Hooker leads Tennessee, and the quarterback has 2,338 yards this season and a 71% completion rate. He has thrown only one interception, and avoiding turnovers is the key for Tennessee on Saturday. The other big spot for this bet is not settling for field goals in the red zone.
Wake Forest -4
This is a matchup of ranked teams in the ACC as Wake Forest visits NC State. But the Wolfpack just haven’t been the same on offense since Devin Leary was injured against Florida State. They scored nine points in a loss at Syracuse and 22 last week to rally past Virginia Tech.
Freshman MJ Morris should start for NC State this week after engineering the comeback. He threw for 265 yards and three touchdowns after replacing an ineffective Jack Chambers.
Wake Forest completely fell apart last week with eight turnovers in a loss at Louisville. They have scored at least 31 points in every other game this season and have topped 40 five times. If they avoid the mistakes this week and get back over 30, they should cover against a banged-up Wolfpack team, even on the road.
Illinois -16
Last week was an utter disaster for Michigan State. They were blown out by their rivals and then had an embarrassing brawl in the tunnel that led to multiple player suspensions, all on the defense. The Spartans have allowed at least 27 points in six straight games and now head to Illinois with a depleted defense and missing 66 tackles, 7.5 sacks, and seven forced fumbles.
The Illini are in the driver’s seat to win the BIG West and should have a great atmosphere for the afternoon kickoff. They have put 26 points on the board in the last two games, and running back Chase Brown has at least 108 yards in every game this season. Quarterback Tommy DeVito has a 12/2 TD to INT ratio and hasn’t turned the ball over since Sept. 10.
Look for the Illini to run all over the Spartans and cruise to an easy home win.
UNC -7
This pick is more against Virginia’s offense than anything else. The Cavaliers have scored 17, 17, 9, and 12 in their last four games and just lost a 14-12 4 OT game to Miami at home. North Carolina averages more than 40 points per game, and there’s just no way UVA can keep up with that.
UNC quarterback Drake Mayo has 29 touchdown passes this year and only three interceptions. He has completed 71% of his passes for 2,671 yards, and six different receivers have at least three touchdown catches.
Against decent offense, this season, Virginia lost 38-17 to Duke, 34-17 to Louisville, and 24-3 to Illinois. The way UNC throws the ball, this game should be like those in the final score.
West Virginia +7
Two of the worst teams in the Big 12 meet up this week as West Virginia hosts Iowa State. The Cyclones have a better defense but have really struggled on offense. On the flip side, the Mountaineers can score but struggle to stop anyone.
Iowa State averages 21.6 ppg, and they give up 16.6 ppg. Last week they threw interceptions and had no running game at all in a 27-13 loss to Oklahoma.
West Virginia scores 34.4 ppg, but they give up 34.6 ppg. Running back CJ Donaldson is out for the season after being injured in last week’s 41-31 loss to TCU. JT Daniels spreads the ball around and can run as well and should be able to put up enough points to keep this one close.
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