Best College Football Bets for Week 9: How to Bet LSU vs. Texas A&M in SEC Showcase

Reed Wallach | 2 Hours Ago

Oct 5, 2024; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) hand off the ball to running back Le'Veon Moss (8) in the second half against the Missouri Tigers at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images. / Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

With College Football Playoff hopes on the line across the nation, who will stay in position to make the 12-team postseason?

For the likes of undefeated Indiana and Texas, each team must take care of business at home, but what's the best way to bet the game with tough opponents on the horizion? What about the marquee matchup on Saturday night between LSU and Texas A&M with each team trying to remain undefeated in SEC play?

Here's our three favorite bets for some of the biggest games in Week 9 college football action.

Best College Football Bets for Week 9

Washington vs. Indiana UNDER 54.5
Vanderbilt (+18.5) vs. Texas
LSU vs. Texas A&M (-125)

Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Washington vs. Indiana Prediction and Pick

This is a fascinating matchup with the injury to Rourke making it tough to get a gauge on the state of the Hoosiers’ high powered offense.

However, Washington is better than its 4-3 record states. The team has been plagued by poor special teams play (133rd out of 134 FBS teams, per Bill Connelly) and a tricky schedule that featured a ton of travel early in the season.

With that in mind, Jedd Fisch’s bunch ranks top 20 in both EPA/Play on offense and defense. The strength of the Huskies defense comes against the pass, tops in EPA/Pass this season, but the Hoosiers may implement a run heavy gameplan with a dual-threat Jackson at quarterback to try and stay ahead of the sticks.

While Indiana should find success there, the Huskies are 97th in EPA/Rush, the team is sturdy in close, ranking top 20 in red zone touchdown percentage allowed.

Meanwhile, the Huskies offense is well balanced, but we’ve seen the team struggle to create explosive plays and score from in close, outside the top 100 in both explosive rush and pass rate while also scoring a touchdown on only 50% of red zone chances.

I believe we see a conservative game script and this game goes under the total.

PICK: UNDER 54.5

Vanderbilt vs. Texas Prediction and Pick

There is clearly a talent gap in this one, but Vanderbilt has proven week in and week out that this year’s team is truly a competitive one.

With an intermediate passing game that stresses keeping the chains moving and an elite short yardage offense, top 10 in third down conversion percentage, the Vanderbilt offense has been able to win the time of possession battle and shorten games against opponents.

The team is undefeated against the spread this season, including covering as double digit underdogs against ranked foes like Missouri and Alabama already this season.

While Texas has the firepower to run Vanderbilt off the field and win by three scores, is it necessary? The Longhorns have battled injuries to the likes of Quinn Ewers already and have its second BYE week ahead of this one, could the team be more interested in getting on track with a win and salting the game away in a limited possession affair?

Vandy continues to outperform expectations, and is in line to do it yet again against a Texas team that still has seen limited offenses that can move the ball like the Commodores have proven it can.

PICK: Vanderbilt (+18.5)

LSU vs. Texas A&M Prediction and Pick

I think this is a great opportunity to sell LSU at its highest.

While the Tigers are winners of six straight games, including two in a row out of its BYE week, let’s take a deeper dive at those games.

The Bayou Bengals beat a banged-up Ole Miss team in overtime that was playing its seventh straight game and an Arkansas team that was far from full strength on the road. Now, the team gets a healthy Texas A&M team that will be its toughest test of the season on both the offensive and defensive line.

Texas A&M is more vulnerable in the secondary, bottom half of the country in coverage grading per Pro Football Focus, but with LSU’s lack of a ground game, the Aggies may be able to drop more defenders into coverage to slow down this LSU passing attack.

LSU is passing at a top 10 rate, which makes the team easier to figure out and tips the scales toward head coach Mike Elko in terms of conceiving a game plan to slow down LSU.

Meanwhile, the Tigers' defense has improved, but is still 84th in EPA/Play. I believe the team’s inability to get off the field on third down, 110th in third down success rate, will play a big role in determining this game. For what it’s worth, Texas A&M is tied for the 19th-best third-down success rate and can create more scoring chances.

PICK: Texas A&M ML (-125)

Best College Football Bets for Week 9

Washington vs. Indiana Prediction and Pick

Vanderbilt vs. Texas Prediction and Pick

LSU vs. Texas A&M Prediction and Pick

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