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College Football Picks for Week 9: Oct 20-26

Dante Moore Oregon v Rutgers
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When the odds get released for the upcoming college football action, then it’s time to start thinking about live NCAAF picks. Three games interest me for NCAAF picks week 8: Wisconsin vs. Oregon, Boston College vs. Louisville, and Houston vs. Arizona State. I will support my top NCAAF picks this week with situational logic, ATS trends, and matchup details.

NCAAF Picks Week 9 at-a-Glance

This article covers my best college football bets for the week, which are all spread picks for games that involve a strong favorite. The most lopsided game will be Wisconsin vs. Oregon.

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Wisconsin vs. Oregon (Oregon -34)

Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 07:00 PM EDT

Oregon and Wisconsin are high-profile teams, although Wisconsin is incredibly remote from its usual reputation. The Badgers are struggling to score at all, having been shutout in consecutive games. They have failed to exceed ten points in any of their last four games, Their low scoring total will give Oregon’s offense less work to do to cover the spread, but the Ducks also don’t need the help. They most recently scored 56 points at Rutgers. This effort was representative of how high-powered their offense is, as it is led by a Heisman-caliber quarterback and two running backs who average over nine YPC.

The Ducks are 4-1 ATS as double-digit favorites. In the one ATS loss, Northwestern scored a very late and very improbable long touchdown. Northwestern also began improving a lot around that time, whereas Wisconsin appears to be free-falling with a head coach who is on his way out.

So, I recommend wagering on Oregon -34. For a full preview, check out the matchup predictions page. Also, view the odds widget to see the line as it evolves.

Boston College vs. Louisville (Louisville -24)

Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 07:30 PM EDT 

This is a game between familiar ACC foes where situational logic dictates what the best bet will be. Louisville is coming off a huge win against a highly ranked Miami team. Recent history indicates that the Cardinals are primed to suffer a let-down. Some teams find it difficult to regroup and refocus after celebrating a massive victory. Louisville is one of those teams that struggles to face an unranked team even after simply playing against a ranked one.

Last year, after upsetting a ranked Clemson team, Louisville lost as a 20.5-point favorite at Stanford. The Cardinals also lost as strong favorites against SMU and Boston College after they had faced a ranked opponent in the previous week. Louisville is, since last season, 0-3 SU and ATS when facing an unranked team after facing a ranked one. 

Given Louisville’s let-down tendency, it is not a valid argument to say that Boston College is a bad team. The Eagles are playing competitively, which indicates effort. When they compete against Louisville, they will cover the spread.

For the above reasons, wager on Boston College +24. You can see the matchup predictions page for a full preview and the odds widget for the current line.

Houston vs. Arizona State (-7.5)

Saturday, October 25, 2025 – 08:00 PM EDT

Houston allowed 28 points or more in two different games. In both games, they struggled against a good opposing quarterback, Behren Morton for Texas Tech and Noah Fifita for Arizona. Both of those quarterbacks achieved a high level of productivity and efficiency against the Cougars’ defense. Sam Leavitt, last year’s Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, is a similarly capable quarterback. He enters this game having found his stride: in his last four games, he’s thrown six touchdowns to zero interceptions. 

On offense, Houston relies primarily on its rush attack for yards. I like the Sun Devils’ defense because they rank 26th against the run. They just upset a Texas Tech team whose offense featured a dangerous running quarterback and a running back who had amassed 263 rushing yards against Kansas. Against ASU, both players combined for a modest 87 rushing yards.

History shows that, with Leavitt playing, the Sun Devils won’t have a let-down. Last year, they pummeled Arizona by 42 points after beating two straight ranked teams.

Therefore, bet on Arizona State -7.5. You can look at the matchup predictions page for a full preview and the odds widget for the current line.

What We’ve Covered and Next Steps

We’ve established my three favorite picks this week:

  • Oregon -34
  • Boston College +24
  • Arizona State -7.5

We’re looking forward to the Oregon game the most because it will be fun to watch the Ducks score so many touchdowns. But I love all three of my NCAAF picks week 8. Timing is everything in sports betting, so you’ll want to place all three wagers as soon as possible, before the lines change. Capitalize on these favorable picks by opening an account at the top sportsbooks and placing three bets today.

Offshore Sportsbooks

You’ll want to register at multiple sports betting sites in order to take advantage of the best odds. Arizona State, for example, is still at -7.5 at BetOnline. The Sun Devils will win by over ten points, but it feels nice to win bets more easily.


*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.

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