College Football Best Bets: Week 5

Story posted September 30, 2022 in

The following article contains information that is not representative of the opinions of CommRadio. It solely expresses the opinions of Parker Silverman.

No. 15 Washington Huskies at UCLA Bruins (Friday Sep. 30, 10:30 p.m. EST)

Spread: Washington -3 -105
Moneyline: Washington -145

The Huskies enter Saturday’s contest undefeated (4-0) and atop the PAC-12 conference. Washington’s offense, led by junior quarterback Michael Penix Jr, ranks 12th in the nation scoring on average 44.0 points per game. The Huskies are also 4-0 against the spread this season, most notably beating Michigan State 39-28 after being favored by 3.5 points, and downing Stanford 40-28 after being 13.5 point favorites.

UCLA comes into this PAC-12 showcase tied with the Huskies at 4-0. The Bruins will be led by veteran Head Coach Chip Kelly, who is priming his undefeated squad for their toughest test of the season thus far. The Bruins have yet to be underdogs, and are 2-2 against the spread in 2022. UCLA provides a lethal offense as well, ranking 20th in the country, scoring 41.8 points per game on average.

The deciding factor when picking this game is the strength of opponents these two teams have faced. Washington has delivered convincing wins against the likes of Michigan State and Stanford, while the Bruins faced a potential Week 3 upset against South Alabama, squeaking out a 32-31 win. I think Washington moves to 5-0 ATS.

Pick: Washington -3 -105

Iowa State Cyclones at Kansas Jayhawks (Saturday Oct. 1, 3:30 p.m. EST)

Spread: Iowa State -3 -105
Moneyline: Iowa State -150

The Iowa State Cyclones will aim to bounce back Saturday against an undefeated Kansas team who’s been on fire. Iowa State enters the game after falling to No. 17 Baylor 31-24 last time out, dropping to 0-1 in conference play. They travel to Kansas this week to face off against their second straight Big-12 opponent.

The Cyclones are 2-2 against the spread this year, 2-1 when favored. Their season has been a story of defense, ranking 14th in the nation, only allowing 14.5 points per game. Offensively, however, they’ve struggled— putting up a measly 29.8 points per game (79th in the country).

Kansas is one of the few teams in the country that are undefeated against the spread this season. They have been underdogs twice, dismantling West Virginia 55-42 and Houston 48-30. The Jayhawks lead the Big-12 conference, led by junior quarterback Jalon Daniels. The red and blue have fought to have the fourth ranked offense in the nation, notching a whopping 48.5 points per game.

This game will feature one of the premier offenses in college football facing their toughest defense so far. Kansas will look to go to 5-0, knocking off their Big-12 opponent of the season. I think they’ll do just that, winning their third underdog matchup against the spread this season.

Pick: Kansas ML +130

No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners at TCU Horned Frogs (Saturday, Oct. 1, 12:00 p.m. EST)

Spread: Oklahoma -6.5 -105
Moneyline: Oklahoma -250

Oklahoma travels south to the plains of Texas, as they hope to make amends after suffering a disappointing upset last time out. Oklahoma fell to Kansas State 41-34 after being 13.5 point favorites.

The Sooners are one of the few teams in the country to sport a top-30 offense and defense. Their offense ranks 23rd in the nation (40.2 points per game), and is led by junior sensation Dillon Gabriel. The real threat is the duality of the Sooners attack — Gabriel has already eclipsed 1,000 passing yards on the season, and senior running back Eric Gray is averaging 100 yards per game.

It will be a tall order for a Horned Frogs defense who the NCAA has ranked 68th in the nation, allowing 373 yards per game in three games played. TCU has no problem moving the ball, however, as they total 510 yards per game, making it a tough task for the Sooners to cover the seven point spread if this game were to turn into a shootout.

The one thing going the Sooners way — TCU hasn’t played any notable programs thus far. Their three wins come against SMU, Tarelton State, and Colorado. All out of conference games, all unranked opponents.

Oklahoma is 2-2 on the year against the spread, while TCU is 3-0. If this game were to become a high scoring affair, you can kiss Oklahoma spread goodbye. But something tells me head coach Brent Venables is going to have his Sooners squad ready for a statement win over a conference foe. Be ready for a close game, but I have Oklahoma by seven or more.

Pick: Oklahoma -6.5 -105

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Parker Silverman is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email pws5405@psu.edu.