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Saturday's college football action rolls on into the afternoon slate.
Including a top-20 matchup between the Florida Gators and Georgia Bulldogs, our NCAAF writers came through with four picks for Saturday afternoon's games.
So, read below for college football best bets today and NCAAF picks for Saturday, October 31.
Be sure to download the Action Network app for more expert picks and analysis!
College Football Best Bets Today
The team logos in the table below represent each of the matchups that our college football betting staff is targeting from Saturday afternoon'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.
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 2 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:30 p.m. | |
  | 3:45 p.m. | |
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. | ||
Kansas State vs. Colorado Pick
By Stuckey
Kansas State is in trouble here without starting quarterback Avery Johnson, who did so much for this offense with both his arm and legs.
Despite missing last game, he still remains the Wildcats' leading rusher on the season while averaging an insane 9.1 yards per attempt.
Kansas State will also be without backup quarterback Jacob Knuth, who got the start last week at Arizona State. That leaves Blake Barnett (who has attempted only five career passes vs. Nicholls State) and Dillon Duff, who have also both been dealing with injuries.
Head coach Collin Klein even suggested they were potentially going to need to use an emergency quarterback in Tempe last week, which would have been running back Joe Jackson, who also got banged up last week.
It's an absolute mess. Barnett can run a bit, so I'd expect Kansas State to lean into the ground game, but that's playing right into the hands of Colorado's defense, which ranks ninth nationally in EPA Per Rush allowed.
The Buffs have been vulnerable against opposing aerial attacks, but Kansas State has one of the least explosive passing offenses in the country, even with Johnson at the helm. I just don't think the Wildcats can exploit the obvious holes of Colorado's stop unit.
Lastly, Colorado has played a much tougher slate to date. Per Sagarin, the Buffaloes have played the 12th-most difficult schedule through eight weeks, while Kansas State ranks 70th in that department.
In October alone, Colorado has played Oklahoma State, Utah and Texas Tech, with the latter two coming at home in games it actually won the box score:
- vs. Utah: +2 net yards per play in a 3-point loss
- vs. Texas Tech: 375-314 yardage edge but failed on three fourth-down attempts with a -4 turnover margin
And prior to that, Colorado played road games against Baylor, Northwestern and Georgia Tech. This will certainly be a step down in class for Coach Prime's pack.
This is a tough spot for the Wildcats, who will head to altitude for their second straight West Coast road game with major quarterback uncertainty and a poor matchup on paper.
As long as Isaac Wilson doesn't turn the ball over too much (which is certainly a possibility), the Buffaloes should win this game, as their offense has moved the ball significantly better since making the change at quarterback.
Check out all of Stuckey's Week 9 situational spots below:
Pick: Colorado +2.5 (Play to -1.5)
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Florida vs. Georgia Pick
The Gators have struggled to run the ball of late, posting a Stuff Rate above the national average in the last three SEC contests against Texas, South Carolina and Missouri.
Florida has three primary run concepts in the arsenal: outside zone, counter and power.
The most successful and explosive of the group comes from power attempts with a heavy box, led by running back Jadan Baugh. The junior has 100 more rushing attempts than any other player on the team, running an even split of zone read and non-zone read concepts.
Despite the highly successful numbers against zone read and counter, Georgia has been horrific against power concepts this season.
The Bulldogs have elite numbers in Defensive Finishing Drives and red-zone prevention, ranking fifth in red-zone drives allowed. Although only 15 drives have passed the Georgia 20, the Bulldogs have allowed 14 scores, with 11 of the 15 drives resulting in a touchdown.
On the other side of the ball, Georgia has been a pure zone-read team with a heavy batch of inside zone with 11 and 12 personnel.
Nearly every run concept from the Bulldogs comes in well above the national average in Success Rate and EPA, but inside and outside zone read produce an explosive on one of every five attempts.
Florida has been successful against outside zone but has yet to see an offense execute with two-tight end sets.
Georgia should thrive in passing downs, as the Gators sit outside the top 90 in Success Rate and EPA allowed when opponents are off schedule.
Action Network's Betting Power Ratings call for Georgia to be favored by 10, giving Florida a slight edge in the spread department. Any number at 13 or better will generate Gators tickets, while any dip below 11 is sure to see steam on the Bulldogs.
The better wager comes on the over for a number of reasons.
Florida has been putrid at keeping opponents out of scoring position and the end zone this season. On the other side, Georgia defense has been dominated by power run concepts, so Baugh should find a way to put Florida on the board.
Quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. is also an X-factor, as offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner will have an expanded playbook for the sophomore and starter Aaron Philo.
Check out Wilson's full Week 9 betting card below:
Picks: Over 55.5 (-120 or Better) · Jadan Baugh Anytime TD (-180)
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Northwestern vs. Oregon Pick
By Kyle Hunter
Oregon hasn’t been even close to the same offense without Dante Moore, who's now out for the season.
The Ducks have been the most disappointing team in the country, and it isn’t very close. Dan Lanning’s squad was expected to contend for a national title, and instead they'll just be finishing up this season and looking toward next year.
Northwestern has been far better than expectations, and Chip Kelly is still a fantastic offensive coordinator.
Quarterback Aidan Chiles had been a turnover machine in recent years, but he has been amazing in this offense. Chiles boasts an 85.1 PFF rating, and he has only four turnover-worthy plays all season.
The Wildcats are playing slowly, and they will run the football a lot. I think Northwestern will be able to shorten the game here.
The Ducks could muster only 10 points against the lowly Illinois defense last week and are averaging 14 points per game in their last three contests.
Northwestern is only allowing a touchdown on 39.1% of opponent trips into the red zone. Oregon might move the ball between the 20s, but I think it'll struggle to reach the end zone here.
The Wildcats' secondary is excellent, and I think it'll dare Oregon to try to beat them through the air.
Check out all three of Hunter's Week 9 team total picks below:
Pick: Oregon Team Total Under 26.5
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Virginia vs. Wake Forest Underdog Play
By Jordan Vanek
Lopez has scored a rushing touchdown in three of his seven games, with six rushing touchdowns total: two against Purdue, three against Stanford and one against NC State.
He's averaging 6.3 designed runs per game with a 30% red-zone rush share, and we've seen running quarterbacks have a ton of success against Virginia.
Once Wake Forest gets into the red zone, Lopez is the guy I trust to finish the drive.
Pick: Gio Lopez Higher Than 0.5 Anytime Touchdowns
