Best College Football Bets for Week 7: Can Colorado Pull Another Upset vs. Kansas State?

Reed Wallach | 3 Hours Ago

Sep 21, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Shedeur Sanders (2) warms up before the game against the Baylor Bears at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images / Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Plenty of high level matchups are in front of us this weekend and the action will be pivotal to spelling out the rest of the college football season.

There are plenty of home underdogs, including Colorado and LSU, can each team compete and potentially upset its higher ranked for in conference play? What about the highly impactful Ohio State vs. Oregon matchup on Saturday night in a game that can potentially decide the Big Ten regular season title?

We got you covered with three best bets for this massive slate of games.

Best College Football Bets for Week 7

• Ohio State vs. Oregon First Half Under 26.5
• LSU (+3.5) vs. Ole Miss
• Colorado (+3.5) vs. Kansas State

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Ohio State vs. Oregon Prediction and Pick

Ohio State hasn’t had to show much, but the team is oozing with talent and has won with enough ease to justify making the Buckeyes a road favorite against an elite foe like Oregon. 

The Ducks offensive line hasn’t been as sturdy as many hoped heading into the season, and the team’s lack of big play capabilities thus far makes it harder to see the offense keeping up with Ohio State’s bevy of weapons on offense. 

Can Oregon methodically march down the field on Ohio State’s elite defense? That will likely dictate this matchup. 

While both teams have immense talent on offense, I actually lean towards a conservative game script in this one with potentially long developing drives that end with field goals. 

Oregon’s defense has been strong this season, ranking 29th in EPA/Play has put teams behind the sticks offense, ranking 13th in success rate nationally. While Chip Kelly and the Buckeyes offense will want to spread the Ducks out, I believe that the team opts to attack on the ground with the duo of TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins. 

Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was able to run for nearly 200 yards on the Ducks, and I believe that the team wants to get ahead of the sticks to keep the chains moving rather than throwing early to fall behind with Howard’s still questionable arm talent. 

I think we see a slow start where Oregon struggles to hit the explosive plays for quick scores before this game opens up. 

PICK: 1H Under 26.5

Ole Miss vs. LSU Prediction and Pick

This is a brutal set up for Ole Miss, who are playing its seventh straight game on the road against LSU at one of the toughest venues in the country. 

While Ole Miss has been the more complete team thus far, the LSU defense still has faults under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker, the team will be well rested and as healthy as its been all season against the Rebels, who have a building list of injuries. 

After playing the likes of Kentucky and South Carolina, two defenses that are inside the top 25 nationally in EPA/Play, the Ole Miss offense is starting to run on fumes. 

With several offensive linemen banged up, in addition to star wide receiver Tre Harris, edge rusher Princely Umanmielen and running back Henry Parrish, the Rebels are limping into this one. 

Further, while the Tigers have been struggling on defense, LSU has a stout pass rush, top 15 in the country, per Pro Football Focus. Can the team force enough negative plays to get enough stops? 

On the other side of the ball, Ole Miss has benefitted from an easy crop of opposing offenses. The LSU group will have a full week to prepare for an elite Rebels pass rush, but one that hasn’t been tested in the passing game. The Rebels haven’t faced an offense inside the top half of the country in EPA/Pass this season. 

This is a perfect set up for LSU to cover as three point home underdogs, and potentially win outright. 

PICK: LSU +3.5

Kansas State vs. Colorado Prediction and Pick

This is a poor matchup for Kansas State against Colorado’s high octane offense. 

The Wildcats defense is elite against the run, ranking fifth in EPA/Rush and 16th in yards per carry allowed, but the Buffaloes are a pass-happy offense. Colorado passes the ball nearly 62% of the time when it possesses the ball, fifth in the country. 

For Kansas State, that’s a grave concern. The Wildcats are bottom 10 in the country in terms of pass rush grade, per Pro Football Focus, and are 88th in EPA/Pass. 

Meanwhile, the Buffaloes proved that it’s improving on the defensive side of the ball, particularly against the run, 38th in defensive line yards and 44th in EPA/Rush, which is massive against a run-first K-State offense. 

If the Wildcats fall behind, it’s going to be tough sledding to come from behind given Johnson’s inability to pass the ball effectively. K-State is sixth in EPA/Rush and 59th in EPA/Pass. 

I’ll take the points with the live underdog. 

PICK: Colorado +3.5

---

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Follow Reed on Twitter @ReedWallach and get all his college football bets on betstamp @rw33

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.