There’s been a major shake-up on the NCAAF AP rankings. The Clemson Tigers are no longer the No. 1 team in college football; they barely escaped the North Carolina Tar Heels in Week 5, winning 21-20 as 28.5-point road favorites after stuffing a 2-point conversion attempt. The Alabama Crimson Tide (–38.5 at home) didn’t get the cover in their 59-31 win over the Ole Miss Rebels, either, but it was good enough to supplant Clemson as the top team in the rankings.
They weren’t the only teams to receive first-place votes, either. Both the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes got some love from the AP writers and the coaches in their respective polls, and with both Alabama and Clemson idle in Week 6, the Bulldogs and Buckeyes will have a chance to move up the NCAA odds board with a strong performance on prime time television. But first, they’ll take a backseat to two overlooked teams fighting for recognition in the SEC.
NCAA Odds Week 7: Best Odds and Matchups
After taking a well deserved break in Week 6, both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Clemson Tigers are featured on the NCAA football lines for Week 7. The Tigers gave up the No. 1 spot in the polls after a close shave against North Carolina, but on the futures market, Clemson and Alabama are tied as +265 co-favorites as we go to press. In other words, nothing has been settled through five games – six, for those few teams who have yet to take a bye week.
While we wait for their seemingly inevitable clash in the College Football Playoff, the focus in Week 7 will be on the Red River Showdown. This is one of the highlights of the regular season, maybe the highlight. But will it be a competitive game this year? Maybe not, judging by the NCAA odds for this Big 12 battle.
NCAA Odds Week 7: Best Odds and Matchups
1. No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 11 Texas Longhorns (Saturday, 12 PM ET, FOX)
These are the two best teams in the nation’s best conference, but there’s a considerable gap between the Sooners (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) and the Longhorns (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) on the NCAA football betting board. Oklahoma find themselves laying 10.5 points at the Cotton Bowl, and that might be a bit excessive, built partly around the Heisman Trophy hype surrounding QB Jalen Hurts. The ‘Horns have a gem of their own in QB Sam Ehlinger, and they’re 3-4 SU and 6-1 ATS in their last seven games against the Sooners, all as underdogs of a touchdown or more.
2. No. 7 Florida Gators at No. 5 Louisiana State Tigers (Saturday, 8 PM ET, ESPN)
The Gators (6-0 SU, 3-3 ATS) looked like they were in trouble when QB Felipe Franks was lost for the season to a dislocated ankle, but Kyle Trask has been up to the task. Florida took the No. 7 spot in the polls away from the Auburn Tigers during last week’s marquee matchup, beating Auburn 24-13 as 3-point home dogs. However, Trask’s role is more of a game manager, minimizing mistakes and allowing Florida’s awesome defense to shine – which they’ll have to do if they want to beat LSU (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) as 13-point road dogs.
3. No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide at No. 24 Texas A&M Aggies (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, CBS)
So many people who bet on NCAA football choose to bet on Alabama (5-0 SU, 2-3 ATS), burying the Tide under a mountain of chalk. It could cost them again this week; the Aggies (3-2 SU and ATS) have been competitive, and they’re getting 17.5 points at Kyle Field. Both teams will be well rested for this contest, with Texas A&M sitting idle last week after their narrow 31-27 road win over Arkansas (+24). Back in Week 2, the Aggies covered as 15.5-point road dogs when they lost 24-10 to Clemson, although they did need a last-minute touchdown to cash in.
4. No. 10 Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 17 Iowa Hawkeyes (Saturday, 7:30 PM ET, ABC)
The best Big Ten matchup for Week 7 sees Penn State (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS) laying five points on the NCAA football odds board when they visit the Hawkeyes (4-1 SU, 2-3 ATS), who couldn’t muster up much offense during last week’s 10-3 loss to Michigan as 4.5-point road dogs. That was a tough get in Ann Arbor, though. The Lions have played one of the softer schedules in their conference thus far, and this is the smallest spread they’ve faced after five games.
5. Florida State Seminoles at No. 2 Clemson Tigers (Saturday, 3:30 PM ET, ABC)
Should bettors be worried about Clemson (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS)? Playing in the weak ACC may have masked some of their flaws, and again, the Seminoles (3-2 SU, 2-2-1 ATS) have played a considerably stronger schedule up to this point. Nonetheless, it will take a leap of faith to support Florida State as 27-point road dogs. James Blackman will start at quarterback after suffering a knee injury during their 35-24 win over Louisville (+6.5 away) in Week 4, then “tweaking” that knee and sitting out their 31-13 victory over North Carolina State (+7 away) in Week 5, with graduate transfer Alex Hornibrook stepping in.
*For more info on NCAA Football Betting check out our College Football Betting page!