Caleb Wilfinger
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Week 8 was another wild one in college football, as we saw more upsets and a ton of nail-biting thrillers throughout the weekend. This week’s schedule promises to be no different, with a number of intriguing contests taking place.
Saturday’s slate looks to be another good one and offers a ton of compelling matchups. There is value to be had across the board, including in the Group of 5. Let’s look at the three components of our mega parlay for Saturday’s action.
Notre Dame ML (+115)
Colorado State vs Boise State under 43 (-110)
Old Dominion ML (+145)
Parlay odds: +905
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
For this parlay, we are going with two underdogs on the money line and one game under the total. Let’s break down each of these legs one by one.
Get our college football picks for all of the big Week 9 matchups!
Notre Dame ML (+115) over Syracuse
This is about as good of a spot as Notre Dame could’ve hoped for. The Irish are fresh off an easy win over UNLV and now will take on a Syracuse side that came up just short against Clemson last Saturday. Despite covering the number in the loss, Syracuse was still outgained by 159 yards and benefited from a 4-1 turnover advantage. This included a fumble return for a touchdown, which gave the Orange a 14-point lead in the first half. And while Notre Dame has been inconsistent, things have been trending up since the Irish dominated North Carolina on the road in Week 4.
The Irish have an elite offensive line that should help them establish the run and control the pace of the game against a Syracuse rush defense that is outside the top 100 in opponent rushing success rate and EPA per rush. Defensively, Notre Dame should generate enough havoc to force Syracuse’s offense into negative plays when it matters most. I also expect the Irish to come up with at least 1 takeaway, which should factor into how the game plays out. This spot is too good to pass up, so I’ll gladly back Notre Dame here on the money line.
Check out our full Notre Dame vs Syracuse predictions
Colorado State vs Boise State under 43 (-110)
Colorado State has been a dumpster fire all season and that shouldn’t change on Saturday. The biggest weakness for the Rams is their anemic offense, while Boise State’s strength lies in its stout defense. That bodes well for an under in this contest, even with the total sitting at a fairly low number.
Boise State’s defense has been so strong under coach Andy Avalos that the Broncos’ games are a whopping 14-5 to the under in the last two seasons. This under rate of 74% is the best in college football over that span and given Boise State’s run-first offense and excellent defense, it’s easy to see why. Colorado State shouldn’t provide much offense, as this terrible Rams team has yet to play a game in which the contest goes over the total. I expect long methodical drives from the Broncos as they coast to an easy win.
Check out our full Colorado State vs Boise State predictions
Old Dominion ML (+145) over Georgia State
While Old Dominion is one of the strangest Group of 5 teams due to its inconsistency, the Monarchs at least have some impressive wins this year. The same can’t be said for Georgia State, as the Panthers have woefully underachieved compared to preseason expectations thus far. Georgia State is coming off a blowout loss to App State and doesn’t have much of a home-field edge, considering it already lost to Charlotte at home earlier this season.
The Panthers’ defense is 125th in success rate and I don’t anticipate them doing too well against Hayden Wolff and this explosive Monarchs offense. With a difficult remaining schedule on the horizon, this game is essential if the Monarchs want to become bowl eligible. I’m expecting a spirited effort from Old Dominion in a game I’d make closer to a pick.
Be sure to get our college football Week 9 best bets – we have gone 13-8-1 over the past 7 weeks!
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