Caleb Wilfinger
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Week 4 of the college football season is in the books. Following a slower Thursday and Friday portion of the slate, Saturday delivered a ton of excitement. We had exciting finishes, upsets and compelling games galore. In all, it was a weekend that further solidified the excitement this college football season.
Now it’s time to turn our attention to Week 5. This slate is another compelling one, with plenty of intriguing matchups. The opening lines were released at most sportsbooks on Sunday, so let’s take a look at these openers and give our first impressions.
NCAAF Week 5 opening lines and odds
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
- Utah State +28 (-110) vs BYU – Thursday, September 29
- Tulane +4.5 (-110) vs Houston – Friday, September 30
- UTSA -5.5 (-110) vs Middle Tennessee – Friday, September 30
- San Diego State +5 (-110) vs Boise State – Friday, September 30
- Washington -2.5 (-110) vs UCLA – Friday, September 30
- NC State +7 (-110) vs Clemson – Saturday, October 1
- Michigan -10.5 (-110) vs Iowa – Saturday, October 1
- Kentucky +5 (-110) vs Ole Miss – Saturday, October 1
- Oklahoma -4.5 (-110) vs TCU – Saturday, October 1
- Purdue +9.5 (-110) vs Minnesota – Saturday, October 1
- Texas Tech +7 (-110) vs Kansas State – Saturday, October 1
- Oregon State +11 (-110) vs Utah – Saturday, October 1
- Alabama -16.5 (-110) vs Arkansas – Saturday, October 1
- Rutgers +41.5 (-110) vs Ohio State – Saturday, October 1
- Wake Forest +4.5 (-110) vs Florida State – Saturday, October 1
- Oklahoma State +1.5 (-110) vs Baylor – Saturday, October 1
- Iowa State -3.5 (-110) vs Kansas – Saturday, October 1
- Northwestern +25.5 (-110) vs Penn State – Saturday, October 1
- Michigan State +7 (-110) vs Maryland – Saturday, October 1
- Texas A&M +2 (-110) vs Mississippi State – Saturday, October 1
- Arizona State +23.5 (-110) vs USC – Saturday, October 1
- LSU -7 (-110) vs Auburn – Saturday, October 1
- Virginia Tech +9.5 (-110) vs North Carolina – Saturday, October 1
- Georgia -26.5 (-110) vs Missouri – Saturday, October 1
We’ll have college football picks for almost every game this season!
Best early bets for NCAAF Week 5
UTSA -5.5 (-110) over Middle Tennessee
In what could be the biggest letdown spot of the week, Middle Tennessee is going to be my first fade this weekend. The Blue Raiders just knocked off Miami on the road as 3-touchdown underdogs, and now return home for a date with UTSA. This is almost the perfect scenario for the Roadrunners to start Conference USA play. After a brutal nonconference slate, Frank Harris and company should relax against a now overvalued team in this spot. I like UTSA at anything under a touchdown here, as the Roadrunners should win by double-digits.
NC State +7.5 (-110) over Clemson
In what could be the premier ACC game of the season, Clemson will host NC State. It’s quite simply an excellent matchup. The Tigers are fresh off a massive overtime win over Wake Forest to remain unbeaten, while NC State is rested and ready for this showdown. Historically, the Wolfpack have given the Tigers fits in recent years — including an overtime win in Raleigh last season. Devin Leary is familiar with facing this Clemson defense and has seen success against the Tigers in past starts. Even on the road, this number should be under a touchdown and I’d feel comfortable backing NC State at +6 or better.
Kansas +3.5 (-110) over Iowa State
At some point we’re going to have to sell high on Kansas. However, I don’t think that day is coming this week. This is a Jayhawks team that has the top-scoring offense in college football and has done nothing but outperform the betting market to this point. Kansas has already knocked off Houston, West Virginia and an undefeated Duke team, so the Jayhawks have experience against quality competition. Meanwhile, the Iowa State offense has looked fairly pedestrian to this point. Even though Kansas doesn’t have the greatest defense in the world, I would expect the Jayhawks to get a handful of stops when needed. And it remains to be seen if Iowa State can slow down Jalon Daniels and this explosive Kansas offense. I like Kansas at +3 or better.
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