Week 9 College Football Picks Against the Spread

Oct 21, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams (13) throws the ball during the game against the Utah Utes at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY SportsWeek 9 of the 2023 college football season features an enticing slate on Saturday, October 28thAmong our Week 9 college football against the spread picks is a play on the USC TrojansRead below expert Week 9 college football picks against the spread

The 2023 college football season is heading into its ninth week, and there are only a few weekends remaining to make your CFB ATS picks. We’re back with our four top college football against the spread picks for Week 9 on Saturday, October 28th.

In our Week 9 college football picks against the spread, we’re targeting USC in a bounce-back spot vs Cal, while also fading Tennessee in its SEC matchup with Kentucky.

Let’s get into our Week 9 college football picks against the spread, providing you with our reasoning for each bet.

USC vs Cal Odds

DRAFTKINGS SPORTSBOOK

BET $5 & GET $150 INSTANTLY!

CLAIM OFFER

FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK

BET $5 & GET $200 IF YOUR BET WINS!

CLAIM OFFER

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK

GET UP TO $1,500 BACK IN BONUS BETS!

CLAIM OFFER

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

GET UP TO $1,000 BACK – ON CAESARS!

CLAIM OFFER

All odds as of October 27th at DraftKings Sportsbook. Check out the best sportsbook betting apps for college football against the spread wagering. 

Pick #1: USC -10 (vs Cal)

Kicking off our Week 9 college football picks against the spread is a play on the USC Trojans in their matchup with the Cal Golden Bears. This line simply hasn’t been set high enough due to overreaction to USC’s crushing loss to Utah last weekend.

Our projections have USC as close to a 20-point favorite in this game, yet the line is set at -10.5. This should be a prime rebound spot for reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams, who accounted for five TDs in a win over the Golden Bears last season.

The Trojans have won 18 of the past 20 meetings against the Bears, although Cal has covered in four of the past five. Cal had the weapons to go toe-to-toe with USC last season, largely thanks to Jack Plummer, but the team has cycled through three QBs this season, with neither completing over 62% of his passes.

USC has a lethal offense, averaging averaging 45.4 points per game, which is third in the country. The Bears have already lost by double digits to teams like Washington and Utah, and they don’t have the defense to slow down a hungry Williams-led Trojans team that will be eager to quickly change the narrative following their previous loss.

Pick: USC -10 (-110) 2023-24 College Football Playoff Odds TrackerRead More

Tennessee vs Kentucky Odds

Pick #2: Kentucky +3.5 (vs Tennessee)

While we’re taking USC to bounce back in our Week 9 college football picks against the spread, we aren’t as optimistic about the Volunteers. Tenessee looks to get back into the win column against a feisty Kentucky team following a loss to Alabama.

Tennessee dominated Kentucky in Knoxville last season, winning by a 44-6 score. However, the last two meetings played at Kroger Field in Lexington have seen the Wildcats lose by just a field goal on each occasion. This time around, the blue and white are primed to deliver the upset.

Back to Football. Back in Kroger Field on #Caturday. pic.twitter.com/QMEjGzmHnl

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) October 23, 2023

It’s no secret that the Volunteers are heavily reliant on their rushing attack this season, ranking first in the SEC with 217.3 yards per game on the ground. They’ll face their stiffest test up against an elite KY rush defense that is only allowing 95 yards per game on the ground.

With Kentucky also boasting an elite rushing attack (155.1 YPG), plus a top-three SEC passing attack, we expect this one to go down to the wire. The Vols have only covered the spread once in their past five road games, and they are in a clear letdown spot here facing a KY team fresh off its bye week.

Pick: Kentucky +3.5 (-110)

BYU vs Texas Odds

Team	Spread	Moneyline	Total
BYU	+20 (-110)	+750	Over 50 (-110)
Texas	-20 (-110)	-1200	Under 50 (-110)

Pick #3: BYU +20 (vs Texas)

Concluding our Week 9 college football picks against the spread is a specific Big 12 matchup with plenty of intrigue. The Texas Longhorns are favored by 17.5 points against the BYU Cougars in what will be a one-off showdown due to UT leaving the Big 12 next season and BYU joining this current year.

The big storyline you’ll want to monitor is the injury to Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers. The talented second-year starter suffered a Grade 2 AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and is currently listed as “week-to-week”. It’s almost a certainty he won’t be playing in Week 9 vs BYU.

Here's the play Quinn Ewers got hurt on and what Sark after the game about his injury. pic.twitter.com/N4x5cTnKFk

— Travis Recek (@TravisRecek) October 22, 2023

This line has come down from the initial 20.5 points, and we still don’t think it’s quite where it should be given the Ewers injury. Freshman quarterback Maalik Murphy is expected to start Saturday for the Longhorns, and he’s never started a game at the collegiate level.

BYU is coming off their best rushing performance of the season last weekend (150 YPG) and should find holes in the UT ground defense allowing 179.4 YPG. On the counter, we don’t expect Texas to take many offensive risks in Murphy’s first start, leading to a tight and lower-scoring battle.

Pick: BYU +20 (-110)

 

DRAFTKINGSSPORTSBOOK

Bet $5 & Get $150 in Bonus Bets Instantly!

LOCK IN PROMOSIGNUP PROMOBET $5GET $150GET PROMO