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College Football Best Bets, Picks: Evening Bets for USC vs Michigan, Auburn vs Georgia on Oct. 11

College Football Best Bets, Picks: Evening Bets for USC vs Michigan, Auburn vs Georgia on Oct. 11 article feature image
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Credit: Imagn Images. Pictured: Auburn Tigers QB Jackson Arnold.

Let's close out Week 7 strong with five more best bets from our stellar group of college football experts.

We're eyeing wagers for Michigan-USC, Georgia-Auburn, Kansas-Texas Tech, and more.

Read on for our college football best bets and NCAAF picks for Saturday night's slate on October 11.


College Football Best Bets

The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from today's slate of games. Click on the team logos for any of the matchups below to navigate to a specific bet discussed in this article.

GameTime (ET)Pick
Michigan Wolverines LogoUSC Trojans Logo
7:30 p.m.
Georgia Bulldogs LogoAuburn Tigers Logo
7:30 p.m.
San Jose State Spartans LogoWyoming Cowboys Logo
7:30 p.m.
Kansas Jayhawks LogoTexas Tech Red Raiders Logo
7:30 p.m.
New Mexico Lobos LogoBoise State Broncos Logo
9:45 p.m.
Action Logo
Night
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NCAAF Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game.
Playbook

Collin's Card: Evening Best Bets

Michigan Wolverines Logo
Saturday, October 11
7:30 p.m. ET
NBC
USC Trojans Logo
Over 56.5
bet365 Logo

By Collin Wilson

The Michigan offense should have plenty of success generating first downs and explosives from the rushing attack. The Wolverines have been excellent in an even distribution of inside and outside zone read concepts led by Underwood and Haynes.

USC has been one of the worst defenses nationally against inside zone plays, boasting a low 39% Success Rate while allowing explosive gains on one out of every five carries.

The USC offense will succeed through the air, as Jayden Maiava has dominated quarters and Cover 3 secondaries.

The UNLV transfer quarterback has posted a 72% Success Rate against quarters, dominating opposing nickel defenses with hitch routes.

Wide receiver Makai Lemon has dominated in catches between zero and nine yards, catching 17-of-19 targets with an explosive 4.5 yards per route run.

Action Network's Betting Power Ratings call for USC to be favored by 1.5, giving little value to a market that has bounced the Trojans from 2.5 to 3-point favorites.

The better investment could be on a total, where Michigan rush explosives and USC pass-catchers have the chance to get quick scores on the board.

Considering USC's rank (second in the nation) in Offensive Finishing Drives against a Michigan pass defense that's outside the top 50 in pass EPA allowed, these teams should light up the scoreboard often.

Check out Collin's full USC-Michigan breakdown and more wagers in his full Week 7 card:

College Football Picks, Predictions: Collin Wilson's Week 7 Bets for Indiana vs Oregon, Oklahoma vs Texas Image

Pick: Over 56.5 (-110, bet365)



Stuckey's Spots: Evening Best Bet

Georgia Bulldogs Logo
Saturday, October 11
7:30 p.m. ET
ABC
Auburn Tigers Logo
Auburn +3.5
bet365 Logo

By Stuckey

Georgia arguably should have beaten Alabama, but it probably should have lost at Tennessee. A rightful wash, but this just isn't the same elite-tier Georgia team we saw a few years ago.

And similar to my Alabama-Missouri breakdown, I don't think there's as wide a gap between the top SEC teams and the second-tier (where Auburn falls) than the market presumes.

Consequently, I can't get this spread even to a field goal after adjusting for the spot and home-field advantage.

I happily took the hook with the home Tigers, who will come off a much-needed bye week after one of the nation's most vicious schedules to start the season with three road games against Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

This will mark Auburn's first marquee home game, which is even more critical for this specific squad with Jackson Arnold at the helm.

He clearly struggled in hostile environments with the pre-snap communication between him and Hugh Freeze, who now can act as Arnold's personal movie director before each play in the friendly confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

That's massive for a limited quarterback like Arnold, who struggles to read defenses and change plays on his own.

He may also benefit significantly from the bye week in a brand-new offense after a number of demanding tests to start 2025, where the timing was clearly off with his receivers.

That's even more important against a Georgia defense that remains vulnerable on the back end in coverage, which could lead to banner days for the talented Auburn wide receivers.

It should also result in increased success on passing downs, an area where Arnold struggled on the road.

Georgia also doesn't boast the same ferocious pass rush as your older brother's version of the Dawgs, who have only seven sacks on the entire season.

Auburn's front struggled to contain all of the twists and stunts it saw from Texas A&M and Oklahoma, but that hasn't really been a strength of a Bulldog pass rush that ranks 108th in sacks per game.

For comparison, the Aggies and Sooners rank in the top six nationally and top 15 if you remove matchups against Auburn.

And while Georgia's run defense has graded out exceptionally well, it has yet to really face a mobile quarterback like Arnold, who has given Kirby Smart's defenses fits in the past.

Expect Freeze, one of the best play designers and game planners in the sport, to attack those vulnerabilities, especially with a full two weeks to prepare for this particular matchup with the healthiest roster he has had all season.

When Georgia has the ball, Auburn's secondary will need to step up against the Georgia wideouts, who will have an advantage on the outside.

However, I don't expect the Bulldogs to get much on the ground against an immovable Tiger run defense that ranks in the top three nationally in both EPA allowed and Success Rate allowed.

That should open up opportunities for Auburn's elite pass rushers, led by Keldric Faulk, to wreak Havoc on Gunner Stockton, whose completion percentage drops nearly 35 percentage points when under pressure compared to when kept clean.

To me, Auburn profiles as a play-on team in big games at home this season and either an avoid or fade on the road.

Although the Tigers did win easily in Waco and actually had chances to pull off upsets in both Norman (despite Venables' inside knowledge of Arnold's strengths and weaknesses) and College Station — two of the toughest places to play in the country — even with those pre-snap communication limitations.

The Tigers were severely outplayed by the Aggies, but could have easily beaten the Sooners if not for a few brutal calls against them.

I'd argue Auburn has the advantage in the trenches on both sides of the ball in this game and has the more talented skill-position group in a matchup of two vulnerable secondaries.

Georgia has the better quarterback, which matters, but I don't consider Stockton to be elite. Throw in the spot and the Freeze edge at home off the bye, and I had to take the hook here with the home pup.

Read Stuckey's full Georgia-Auburn breakdown and more in his Week 7 situational spots piece:

Pick: Auburn +3.5 (-110, bet365)



Ianniello's G5 Picks: Evening Best Bet

San Jose State Spartans Logo
Saturday, October 11
7:30 p.m. ET
CBS Sports Network
Wyoming Cowboys Logo
San Jose State -1.5
bet365 Logo

By Mike Ianniello

I was very high on this Spartans team coming into the season, and they stumbled out of the gate, dropping two winnable games to Central Michigan and Stanford. But we have really seen the offense click into gear over the last two weeks.

The passing game has taken off under Walker Eget, who has 807 passing yards and six touchdowns in the last two games.

Despite losing superstar receiver Nick Nash, Sacramento State transfer Danny Scudero has become the new favorite target. He leads the country in receiving yards this season and paces the Mountain West in catches, yards and touchdowns.

Defense has been a struggle for the Spartans, but this is a good matchup for them against a Wyoming offense that ranks outside of the top 100 in explosiveness and struggles to pass the ball consistently.

Quarterback Kaden Anderson is completing less than 55% of his passes and won’t be able to take advantage of the Spartans' rebuilt secondary.

Now that the Spartans' offense has flipped the switch and hit its stride, I expect this team to go on a nice little run.

The struggling Wyoming offense should allow the San Jose State defense to do its part, while the Cowboys are unable to keep up with Eget and this passing attack.

Betting against Wyoming in Laramie is always terrifying, and my only hesitation here, but I think the market is underrating San Jose State after a slow start.

Check out all of Ianniello's Week 7 G5 picks in his weekly Group of 5 column:

Pick: San Jose State -1.5 (-110, bet365)



Ziefel's Top Player Prop

Kansas Jayhawks Logo
Saturday, October 11
7:30 p.m. ET
FOX
Texas Tech Red Raiders Logo
Jalon Daniels Over 32.5 Rush Yards
bet365 Logo

By Doug Ziefel

Jalon Daniels is a veteran, and his dual-threat ability is what makes the Jayhawks' offense dynamic.

While Daniels has a tough matchup on paper, with the Red Raiders ranking third nationally in rushing yards allowed, his ability to escape the pocket brings an extra wrinkle that Texas Tech will have to worry about.

Daniels is likely to have plenty of scramble opportunities, as Kansas is projected to trail throughout this matchup.

While sacks are always a concern when betting college quarterback rushing props, the Red Raiders rank 75th nationally in sack rate.

If Daniels has at least eight carries in this matchup, we should see him clear this total with ease.

Pick: Jalon Daniels Over 32.5 Rush Yards (-115, bet365)



Our Featured Bet Labs System

New Mexico Lobos Logo
Saturday, October 11
9:45 p.m. ET
Fox Sports 1
Boise State Broncos Logo
Boise State -16.5
bet365 Logo

By Tanner McGrath

This game triggered one of our Action Labs PRO betting systems, powered by Evan Abrams.

The Right Favorite is a college football system built on recognizing when the betting market underestimates a favorite.

In the regular season, when an opponent is coming off a loss by seven to 23 points, perception often inflates their chances of rebounding, yet those weaknesses typically carry into the next game.

By focusing on contests where the total is set above 55, the system narrows in on games expected to have higher scoring, which makes it more difficult for struggling teams to keep pace.

Limiting the sample to the first eleven games ensures the analysis applies before postseason adjustments in motivation and preparation occur.

Finally, the spread filter targets situations where the line is set with the other side catching points, but not in extreme ranges, allowing favorites to deliver consistent covers.

Together, these conditions create a profile where the favorite is positioned as the stronger play despite public bias suggesting otherwise.

This is a fantastic bounce-back spot for Boise after last week's 21-point loss to Notre Dame. I expect Maddux Madsen and Co. to take advantage of a New Mexico defense that ranks 95th nationally in Success Rate allowed.

Want more PRO betting systems? Click below to get a sweet deal on an Action PRO account:

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Pick: Boise State -16.5 (-105, bet365)



Breese's Full Action App Card

Need more picks for Saturday night's slate? It's always wise to see what our guy Breese is betting on!

Additionally, if you haven't already, make sure you download the free award-winning Action Network App to track all your bets and tail all of your favorite experts:

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