You may be familiar with our weekly moneyline underdog article. Well, we decided a couple of years ago that we needed to show love for the other side by also sharing our two favorite college football favorites that we share weekly on the "Big Bets on Campus" podcast.
We affectionately refer to them as "overdogs," thanks to one of our beloved callers.
To keep the chalk talk rolling this week, we're two home favorites — one in the Big Ten and one in the Big 12.
Let's dive into our Week 7 college football predictions and NCAAF picks for Michigan State vs. UCLA and Texas Tech vs. Kansas on Saturday, Oct. 11.
Week 7 College Football Predictions, Picks
Stuckey: Michigan State -7.5 vs. UCLA
| UCLA Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+7.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | +245 |
| Michigan State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-7.5 -110 | 54.5 -110o / -110u | -305 |
I’m taking the spot here.
UCLA comes in off that massive win against Penn State, but now it's heading into an early 9 a.m. body clock game. That’s a tough body clock adjustment after a big victory.
The big issue is that the Bruins just can’t get pressure on the quarterback. They rank dead last among the Power 4 conferences in pass rush.
That’s a huge problem against Michigan State because Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles tends to make mistakes when he’s under pressure. But UCLA can’t create that pressure. It simply doesn’t have that capability right now.
On top of that, Michigan State has been solid shutting down mobile quarterbacks, so I’m not expecting much from UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava in this one.
Sparty needs this game to keep their bowl hopes alive after hitting a couple of losses recently, and I think they’ll come out ready to roll.
Give me Michigan State here.
Collin Wilson: Texas Tech -14 vs. Kansas
| Kansas Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+14 -105 | 59.5 -110o / -110u | +450 |
| Texas Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-14 -115 | 59.5 -110o / -110u | -600 |
I like Texas Tech to pull away in this one. I don’t know why I don't have a ticket on the Red Raiders to win the Big 12.
When you look at Kansas’ tackling, they’re outside the top 100. That’s going to hurt against what Texas Tech brings to the table.
The Red Raiders have a major edge on offense, especially when it comes to explosive passing plays. The Red Raiders can wreak Havoc on the outside, and Kansas’ secondary just doesn’t seem equipped to handle that kind of firepower.
The Jayhawks are also entering their second straight road game, having just played UCF at the Bounce House last week.
Tayven Jackson and Cam Fancher combined for four explosive passes against that defense, and I don’t see it slowing down Texas Tech.
I think the Red Raiders are going to steamroll through a few of these Big 12 matchups.
