Best NCAAF Lines & Betting Picks for Week 9

You will want to make sure you are at a sports bar or have multiple TVs wherever you are this Saturday at 3:30 PM ET because there are a handful of great games on the schedule at that time, led by No. 6 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Penn State and No. 9 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 NC State. With many of the games already updated with the College Football odds for Week 9, here’s a look at both games, along with the latest NCAAF lines.

Best NCAAF Lines & Betting Picks for Week 9

How To Bet Penn State at Ohio State NCAAF Lines & Game Info

When: Saturday, 3:30 PM ET Where: Ohio Stadium, Columbus TV: Fox Stream: Fox Sports Go Radio: Tunein.com Opening NCAAF Lines: OSU -6

College Football Week 9 Betting Odds & Top ATS Picks

Why Bet On Penn State?

The No. 2 Nittany Lions know if they win out they will repeat as Big Ten champions – and at least make the College Football Playoff this time. In 2016, Penn State upset Ohio State on a late blocked field goal and touchdown and went on to won the Big Ten title, but the Buckeyes got a playoff spot. That was ridiculous. A win over Ohio State here would put the Nittany Lions on a likely path to the Big Ten Championship game against Wisconsin, which is running away with in the Big Ten West division race. Penn State (7-0) comes off a hugely impressive 42-13 win over Michigan. UM entered the game boasting the FBS’ top total defense (223.8 ypg), but Heisman Trophy favorite Saquon Barkley set the tone early, scoring two rushing touchdowns in the first five minutes, highlighted by a 69-yard touchdown on the game’s second play from scrimmage. He also helped put the game away in the fourth quarter, catching a 42-yard touchdown pass from Trace McSorley. The catch gave him the yards necessary to become the first Penn State player and the fourth in Big Ten history to total 3,000 career rushing yards and 1,000 career receiving yards.

What Else Has McSorley Done with Penn State?

McSorley was ultimately responsible for four touchdowns, rushing for a career-high three scores, in addition to his fourth-quarter toss to Barkley. McSorley finished with 358 yards of total offense, as he connected on 17-of-26 passes for 282 yards and rushed for 76 yards on 11 carries. The Nittany Lions outgained the Wolverines, 506-269, in total yardage. The points and yards allowed by Michigan’s defense were its most since 2015. Penn State is 16-1 in its last 17 games for its best stretch since going 20-0 from 1993-95, and 7-0 at the start for the first time since starting 2008 at 9-0. The Nittany Lions have also won their last 13 games against Big Ten opponents for their longest conference winning streak ever.

Why Bet On Ohio State?

ESPN GameDay will be in Columbus. Ohio State will make its 40th appearance on the show and will host for the 17th time (most among any school) and the second this season. Penn State makes its 18th appearance and will be on consecutive shows after hosting GameDay this past week for the Michigan game. PSU’s Barkley has the nation’s longest active streak of games with a touchdown (14). He last didn’t reach the end zone against Ohio State in PSU’s win last fall. Ohio State allows just 1.3 yards after contact on runs, and despite Barkley’s brilliance against Michigan, he had only 6 rush yards after contact. The Buckeyes (6-1) have a break here in that they come off their bye week and thus pretty healthy. Veteran quarterback JT Barrett is once again putting up gaudy numbers against the teams Ohio State should beat, with 22 total touchdowns and no interceptions in five games since the loss to Oklahoma.

What Colors Will The Team Wear?

For this huge game, OSU will sport gray jerseys and pants, a gray and black helmet featuring scarlet Buckeye leaves, and an all-red version of the LeBron cleats worn earlier in the season against Oklahoma. The uniforms are freaking spectacular. There will be doubts, despite the Buckeyes’ 228 points scored in the past four weeks, about their ability to keep pace with Penn State. It’s an unfamiliar spot for Urban Meyer, who is 43-2 in the regular season against Big Ten competition.

How To Bet NC State at Notre Dame NCAAF Lines & Game Info

When:  Saturday, 3:30 PM ET Where: Notre Dame Stadium TV: NBC Stream: NBCSports.com Radio: Tunein.com Opening NCAAF Lines: Irish -7.5

Why Bet on NC State?

The Wolfpack are one of the nation’s surprises this year. NC State has already locked down wins against Florida State and Louisville, so they are feeling confident off a bye week. But two-loss NC State could end up hurting the ACC’s playoff chances. This is NC State’s first-ever trip to Notre Dame. It’s the first battle of top-15 teams for NC State since 1992. While many factors will determine if NC State can push its winning streak to seven games (only six FBS teams currently have a longer winning streak) by claiming its first top-10 non-conference road win since 1975, one battle that’s already getting some buzz will be the Pack’s rushing defense against the powerful Irish rushing attack.

How Has the Defensive Line Been?

The senior-laden defensive line has helped lead NC State to the nation’s sixth-best rushing defense in 2017, allowing just 91.3 yards per game. NC State has held three 2017 opponents (South Carolina, Syracuse and Pitt) to less than 100 yards this season, and since the beginning of the 2015 campaign has held 13 opponents under the century mark. One of the best defensive linemen in college football is NC State’s Bradley Chubb, a future NFL first-round pick. Chubb plays the run and pass with equal ferocity. He’s making a strong case for best defensive player in college football, accumulating 6.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss so far this season. The Wolfpack have defeated two top 20 teams already this season. The last time NC State beat three ranked teams in a season was in 1992, with victories over No. 15 Iowa, No. 18 Clemson and No. 25 Wake Forest.

Why Bet On Notre Dame?

Remember when Brian Kelly was supposed to be on the hot seat? Not any longer. The Irish (5-1) have just a one-point loss to an unbeaten Georgia team and they just crushed a good USC squad 49-14 on Saturday. It was only fitting with the 1977 national championship squad in attendance that Notre Dame’s 49 points against USC were the most since the 49-19 victory 40 years ago. The Notre Dame ground attack proved unstoppable tonight, totaling 377 rushing yards, which are believed to be the most for the Irish in a game versus USC since 1950.  Josh Adams continued to build his Heisman resume as the junior finished with 191 yards on 19 carries (10.1 avg), including three touchdowns.  Meanwhile, Brandon Wimbush followed suit with 106 yards on 14 carries (7.6) with two rushing touchdowns, marking the fourth time this season Notre Dame had a pair of 100-yard rushers. In addition, Wimbush tacked on 190 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

What Has the Coach Done to Amp Up the Team?

Kelly met personally with every returning player after last season’s struggles, and he seems to have changed the culture there. They’re healthy and playing really well. Wimbush is back after missing a game with a foot injury. Adams averages 9.21 yards per carry (the all-time Irish season record is 8.11 by George Gipp in 1920). Already this season he has had runs of 84, 73 (twice), 59, 65, 64 and 60 yards. The offensive line — particularly the left side, with Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey — is one of the best in the country. They have talent all along the defense, plus one of the deepest secondaries in the nation. Their turnover margin is tied for third in the country (10), so they create takeaways on defense and limit giveaways on offense. After seven games Notre Dame has allowed only a single rushing touchdown to its opponents. That’s after allowing 23 in all of 2016. No other team in the country can say that (Alabama, Clemson, Wisconsin and Virginia Tech have allowed two each).

Expert Predictions & Betting Picks for Week 9

Penn State could still make the playoff if it loses a very close game to the Buckeyes, but I like OSU to cover that 6-point spread in the NCAAF lines. Notre Dame will beat NC State by 10.