Sammy P warned us last week to beware of The Swamp, and he was on the money. Should bettors back the Gators again as they face another SEC foe? And how about USC over in the Big Ten?
Can Lincoln Riley and the Trojans be trusted to cover against the Washington Huskies — or at least win outright — after falling to Oregon? Here are the five games that every fan and bettor should have on their radars for college football Week 5 (odds via DraftKings as of Oct. 1).
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Spread: Alabama -5.5Moneyline: Alabama -225; Mississippi State +185O/U: 60.5 What To Know: The Crimson Tide take an undefeated show on the road to face SEC opponent Mississippi State on Saturday at noon. In a decisive Week 4 victory, Alabama put up 489 total yards against South Carolina in a 49-18 win over the Gamecocks. But the Mississippi State Bulldogs are also unbeaten and come into this weekend after defeating a ranked Missouri team, 31-24.
One spot where State has a leg up is in its record against the spread (ATS). The Bulldogs are a perfect 4-0 there; the Tide are 3-1. Spread: Ohio State -14.5Moneyline: Ohio State -625; Iowa +455O/U: 45.5 What To Know: The Buckeyes bounced back from their Week 2 loss to Texas by rolling past Kent State and Illinois.
Will the path to victory this weekend be as seamless? They're facing a team ranked in the Top 25 in Iowa — a Hawkeyes squad that boasts the top scoring defense in the nation. But according to FOX Sports college football writer Laken Litman, Iowa will be no match for Ohio State.
"It's not smart to pick against Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith at this point," she noted. Spread: Florida -5.5Moneyline: Florida -205; Missouri +170O/U: 57.5 What To Know: The Gators look like the real deal. They've put up at least 40 points in every contest, they're 3-1 ATS and they're 4-0 straight up (SU).
In Week 3, they got past Ole Miss — a team led by one of the most electric quarterbacks in the country in Trinidad Chambliss. Missouri, on the other hand, comes into this matchup 1-3 ATS and 3-1 SU. In the Tigers' loss to Mississippi State last week, Mizzou QB Austin Simmons had 295 passing yards and three touchdowns.
In the Gators' win last week, they got it done on the ground, racking up 302 rushing yards. Spread: USC -9.5Moneyline: USC -275; Washington +295O/U: 58.5 What To Know: RJ Young explained that USC has a "Lincoln Riley problem" and that once again, Riley's Trojans are "mid." But based on the line, the Trojans should get right after losing 41-27 to Oregon last weekend. Like SC, though, Washington is coming off a crushing loss, after falling to Minnesota 27-24.
Which team comes out of the Coliseum with the W? FOX Sports college sports writer Ben Portnoy is backing Troy. "The noise is growing louder around Lincoln Riley," he explained, "but I do think USC is just a flat out more talented team than Washington right now." Spread: Indiana -23.5Moneyline: Indiana -2100; Rutgers +1100O/U: 56.5 What To Know: Indiana is on a quest to defend its national title, but in Week 4, the Hoosiers got a scare from Northwestern.
The Wildcats made it a close game, with Indiana rallying to win, 29-23. With that, the Hoosiers come into this contest with a 4-0 record to face a Scarlet Knights team that has just one win on its record this season. However, Rutgers has kept its meetings close.
The Scarlet Knights lost to USC 42-35 in Week 3 and the week before, they kept it tight before losing to Boston College, 28-21.
