College Football Betting Picks for Saturday 10/14/23

It is now CFB Week 7, and some would say we are officially in the dog days of the college football season.

Assuming we get through the upcoming Friday the 13th without anything too spooky occurring, this Saturday presents multiple noteworthy AP Top 25 matchups. Highest on my list of games over the weekend is the No. 8 Oregon Ducks at the No. 7 Washington Huskies. These very well could be the best two sides in the Pac-12 this year.

Additionally, another rivalry game will demand the spotlight when the No. 10 USC Trojans visit the No. 21 Notre Dame Fighting Irish. From there, the Auburn Tigers and No. 22 LSU Tigers will paw it out in the 2023 Tiger Bowl.

Oh, and the UNLV Rebels are also back in action this week after a bye. If you've been following me this season, you know I've been following them. Like several other schools this Saturday, the Rebs have a rivalry game on the docket, visiting the Nevada Wolf Pack up in Reno. Believe me, the Mountain West can get very physical.

A final note: the following wagers are intended as straight bets, but FanDuel is also running a 50% Parlay Profit Boost on college football from October 12-14 (see FanDuel Sportsbook for stipulations).

Let's dive into Saturday's college football schedule with an emphasis on scoping out the most valuable lines in traditional betting markets.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook. Lines may change after this article is published.

College Football Betting Picks (10/14/23)

(#3) Ohio State Buckeyes at Purdue Boilermakers

• Time: 12 p.m. EST
• TV: Peacock
• Spread: OSU -19.5
• Moneyline: OSU -1300/PUR +760 (was +680 on Wednesday)
• Total: 50.5

The No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes have quietly remained undefeated. I say quietly because they are currently ranked behind the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines, which always matters significantly for OSU followers. Regardless, the Buckeyes still need to get through the Purdue Boilermakers this weekend.

Ohio State will make the short trip to West Lafayette, Indiana this weekend where the Boilermakers are in their first season under head coach Ryan Weathers. Thus far, Purdue is not performing particularly well; they are 2-4 straight up (SU) and surrendering 28.0 PPG. How will that fare when the almighty Buckeyes come to town?

Led by head coach Ryan Day, Ohio State is 5-0 overall this year but just 2-2-1 against the spread (ATS). While their scoring clip of 35.0 PPG in 2023 is impressive, it's notably down from 44.2 a season ago. Still, Buckeye quarterback Kyle McCord has been efficient, displaying a 86.6 QBR, the sixth-best figure in the nation.

Best Bet: Ohio State -19.5 (-110)

OSU has been dominant in 2023; their average margin of victory is 24.8 points through five contests so far. Additionally, star receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. is returning to top form, scoring four touchdowns over the last four games. I think he and fellow wideout Emeka Egbuka have boom potential this weekend at Purdue.

The college football power index on ESPN has Ohio State (27.1 FPI) ranked tops in the nation right now. Surveying the same list, the Boilermakers do not show up until 56th overall (1.5 FPI). In this classic Big Ten matchup, one where Ohio State holds a 41-15-2 all-time advantage, I like the Buckeyes to win by 20 or more.

(#8) Oregon Ducks at (#7) Washington Huskies

• Time: 3:30 p.m. EST
• TV: ABC
• Spread: WASH -2.5 (-122)
• Moneyline: ORE +118/WASH -142
• Total: 67.5 (-105/-115)

As a West Coast football rivalry dating back to the turn of the 19th century, the respective universities of Oregon and Washington have battled on the gridiron in more than 110 head-to-head contests throughout history. Simply, 22 different U.S. presidents have inhabited the Oval Office since this Pacific Northwest series began. Overall, the Huskies have the upper hand, holding a total record of 61-48-5 versus UO.

Fast-forward to 2023, both the Ducks and Huskies are 5-0 SU, guided by prolific offenses with precise quarterback play. Between Oregon's Bo Nix (82.7 QBR; 13th in FBS) and Washington's Michael Penix Jr. (91.6 QBR; 2nd), these Pac-12 sides really move the rock. At FanDuel Sportsbook, each signal-caller is in the top five at Heisman Trophy betting; Nix has the third-shortest odds at +600 while Penix is the current favorite at +220.

UDub has scored a staggering 46.0 PPG only to be outdone by their rival from across the Columbia River -- the Ducks have produced the FBS' second-highest scoring clip at 51.4 PPG. Regardless, both figures are top-three marks.

Last season's showing between Oregon and Washington was an instant classic. In Eugene, each team went for over 520 yards of offense, ultimately resulting in a thrilling 37-34 road win for the Huskies. Then-kicker Peyton Henry sealed the deal for Washington by converting a 43-yard field goal with under a minute in regulation.

Best Bet: Washington -2.5 (-122)

This year, the Ducks will travel up to Seattle for an adversarial top-10 clash. Taking place in the afternoon window, head coaches Kalen DeBoer and Dan Lanning -- both in their second season at the post -- will be playing chess, not checkers. However, in this sort of atmosphere, and laying less than a field goal, I am going with the home-side Huskies.

Undoubtedly, this will be the toughest test for either side to this point. On ESPN's SP+ rankings, Oregon (fifth) is just one spot ahead of Washington (sixth). Still, I think home-field advantage will count significantly this weekend in the Emerald City. The game projections at numberFire support this notion, showing a Husky winning score of 34.21-30.02 on Saturday.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the ATS market in this contest narrowly shows more support for the Huskies in terms of total bets placed but a slightly higher overall stake is on Oregon.

UNLV Rebels at Nevada Wolf Pack

• Time: 5 p.m. EST
• TV: Nevada Sports Network
• Spread: UNLV -9.5
• Moneyline: UNLV -365/NEV +285
• Total: 53.5

It is time again for one of the Silver State's most cherished traditions: the "Battle for the Fremont Cannon."

Genuinely, the territorial rivalry between UNLV and Nevada (or UNR -- University of Nevada, Reno -- as it is colloquially known) runs deep. As part of the schools' "Silver State Series" competing in all sports, the winner of the annual football game is awarded John Fremont's cannon to paint in the color of whichever school is victorious.

The cannon is currently draped in scarlet for the Rebels, who won in Vegas 27-22 last season. Paradoxically, these programs have trended in opposite directions as of late. UNLV is on pace to increase their annual win total for the third consecutive year, while the Wolf Pack won eight games in 2021 only to claim victory twice in 2022. In the current campaign, Nevada is still looking for its first win.

Head coach Barry Odom has the Rebs invigorated in his first season leading the program; UNLV is off to a 4-1 start. They have only played one Mountain West game thus far, trouncing the Hawaii Warriors 44-20 in their most recent contest. After an idle week, Nevada-Las Vegas will now head north to "The World's Biggest Little City."

Best Bet: UNLV -9.5 (-110)

Typically not known as a football school, UNLV's adjusted win rate throughout history is quite anemic at 33.5% in 525 total games on the gridiron. Well, perhaps this current version of the Rebels has tapped into that "Tark the Shark" mentality because UNLV is "runnin'" the ball for a whopping 214.0 rushing yards per game in 2023. Oh, and they show an undefeated 5-0 ATS record this year.

Considering Rebel quarterback Jayden Maiava's (126.4 rating) fill-in success, I love Nevada-Las Vegas to roll right through their archrival from Reno. The Wolf Pack (-17.2 FPI) are currently viewed as the sixth-worst team in all of FBS, according to ESPN's power index. Transparently, I can't think of enough reasons to not play UNLV on Saturday.

Auburn Tigers at (#22) LSU Tigers

• Time: 7 p.m. EST
• TV: ESPN
• Spread: LSU -11.5 (-105)
• Moneyline: AUB +340/LSU -450
• Total: 60.5 (-115/-105)

College football is saturated with various installments of the Tiger mascot, but of those schools, perhaps none have as rich a football tradition as Auburn or LSU.

This weekend, the two flagship SEC institutions will meet in Baton Rouge, marking the 58th all-time head-to-head matchup. So, will it be "War Eagle" or "Geaux Tigers"?

Narrowly, LSU holds the upper hand against Auburn, 29-24-1, throughout the historic rivalry. Last season in Auburn, head coach Brian Kelly and quarterback Jayden Daniels leaned on a stout ground game, running the ball 49 times for 185 yards and two scores. It eventually led to a 21-17 victory for Louisiana State.

War Eagle is in its first season under head coach Hugh Freeze. Of course, Freeze does have prior SEC coaching experience, having ran the Mississippi Rebels' program from 2012-2016. Through his years in Oxford, Freeze compiled a solid overall record of 39-25 (.609). In five games at Auburn, he is 3-2.

With both sets of Tigers scoring points at a rapid rate (AUB yielding 29.6 PPG and LSU producing 44.8 PPG), the spread of 11 with a hook does seem rather daunting for the Bayou Bengals -- especially once you consider LSU's 3-3 ATS record this year.

Best Bet: Over 60.5 (-115)

Things have been tumultuous in Baton Rouge in 2023, but one area Louisiana State is excelling at right now is cashing overs. Through six games played for LSU this season, the combined total has gone over in every contest. Additionally, they have thrice faced totals north of 60. In those three bids, the average combined total shows an astronomical 91.3 points.

At FanDuel Sportsbook, the majority of public support in this market for both the number of bets and overall handle is on over 60.5 points. Thankfully, the weather this weekend in Louisiana's capital has a pleasant forecast -- expect a mild 70 degrees at kickoff. That should present optimal conditions for scoring early and often.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.