With Week 9 upon us, it’s time to head to the board and look for 5 against-the-spread underdog picks for Saturday’s slate.
Last week went well, as Louisville, SMU and Stanford all beat the number. In fact, all 3 of those teams won outright — including the Cardinal as 18-point underdogs over Florida State.
5 upset predictions for Week 9
Let’s dive in to 5 upset picks for this week along with information on the best sports betting app with the best price for each market:
Memphis +5.5 over South Florida
I like backing Memphis coming off of a stunning loss to UAB this past weekend. The Tigers lost outright as 24-point favorites, making it one of the biggest upsets of the season. Memphis lost quarterback Brendon Lewis on its first drive of the second half and he’s questionable for this game against USF as of this writing. In any event, I think Memphis probably got caught looking ahead to this massive game against the Bulls. There are serious College Football Playoff implications for this game and Memphis is at home. I don’t think there’s a massive talent edge for USF here. I’ll take the points.
Pick: Memphis +5.5 (-110 on bet365)
Syracuse +17.5 over Georgia Tech
The Georgia Tech hype is out of control. Kirk Herbstreit has the Yellow Jackets at No. 4 this week — ahead of Alabama! I’m old enough to remember when Georgia Tech barely beat Clemson and Wake Forest earlier this season. Or even last week when Georgia Tech only scored 3 offensive points through the first 3 quarters against Duke. I don’t love backing this Syracuse team, but I think the Orange will fight for Fran Brown. In the Brent Key era, Georgia Tech is 2-4-1 against the spread when favored by more than a touchdown.
Pick: Syracuse +17.5 (-110 on BetMGM)
Ole Miss +5.5 over Oklahoma
I don’t really like this Ole Miss team very much. But I’m equally unsure about this Oklahoma team. The Sooners have been much better offensively than they were a season ago, but are far from elite on that end. Defensively, the results have been good but OU’s cornerbacks remain a question. There’s also the matter of the weather, which could very much be a factor in Norman this weekend. Rain and significant wind is possible, which could lead to a more run-heavy approach for both teams. I think this one is ultimately decided by a field goal.
Pick: Ole Miss +5.5 (-110 on Fanatics)
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Illinois +4.5 over Washington
I haven’t been the biggest fan of this Illinois team this year, but I do like the Fighting Illini this week. Washington hasn’t played well against anyone other than Rutgers in about a month. The Huskies were out-classed by Michigan this past week. Illinois is coming off of a bye, which should help to mitigate some of the disadvantages of a cross-country road trip up to Seattle. I think Luke Altmyer has a big day against this Washington secondary and we see a game that’s decided by 3 or fewer.
Pick: Illinois +4.5 (-115 on BetMGM)
Toledo +2.5 over Washington State
Toledo quietly has one of the best defenses in the Group of 5 this season. The Rockets rank No. 5 nationally in Game on Paper’s schedule-adjusted EPA-per-play allowed metric. Offensively, Toledo has a really efficient passing attack led by quarterback Tucker Gleason. Former Ohio State and Kentucky running back Chip Trayanum is capable of making big plays out of the backfield, too. Toledo is catching points on the road against a Washington State team that has lost back-to-back heartbreakers to ranked teams in Ole Miss and Virginia. The Cougars have proven to be more resilient than I would have thought, but I think Toledo gets the job done on the heels of a couple really tough games for Wazzu. It’s also worth noting the first of 2 meetings with Oregon State this season will take place in Week 10.
Pick: Toledo +1.5 (-110 on DraftKings)
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
