The computers at OddsTrader have some early projections for Week 6 of the college football season. We’ve added three bets to the betting portfolio. Let’s earn some profit this weekend!
Picks Summary
- Syracuse +9 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook (check our Caesars Sportsbook Review)
- Virginia Tech/Florida State Over 53 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
- TCU -5.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Syracuse Orange vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, October 07, 2023 – 03:30 PM EDT at Kenan Stadium
Our AI Model believes the Syracuse Orange will earn a 32-25 win over North Carolina on Saturday. With the Orange sitting at nine-point underdogs, this game has so much value.
Syracuse’s Winning Recipe
Analytically, Syracuse is the better team. The Orange have been much more consistent on defense and just need to limit turnovers on offense.
Garrett Shrader didn’t do that last weekend against Clemson. Instead, he turned the ball over thrice, and Syracuse lost, 31-14, to Clemson at home. That can’t happen again, but I don’t expect it to.
North Carolina’s Bye-Week Blues
North Carolina typically plays terribly off a bye week. The Tar Heels are coming off a bye week and haven’t won a game after a bye week since 2018. That was before the pandemic.
North Carolina’s Drake Maye was projected to be a Heisman candidate this year. However, the Tar Heels quarterback has only thrown five touchdowns and has four interceptions.
He and the North Carolina offense will struggle against Syracuse. The Orange have one of the best secondaries and football and remain dominant against the run.
The Pick
The AI Model thinks Syracuse wins outright. We’ll just take the +9 at the college football odds and play it safe.
NCAAF Pick: Syracuse +9 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
Virginia Tech Hokies vs. Florida State Seminoles
Saturday, October 07, 2023 – 03:30 PM EDT at Doak Campbell Stadium
Our AI Model believes Florida State and Virginia Tech will combine for 63 points, with Florida State earning a 45-18 win over Virginia Tech.
However, the oddsmakers have this game listed with a total of 53. The Over is the play!
Virginia Tech Soaring High
Virginia Tech’s win against Pittsburgh last weekend was impressive. The Hokies added 38 points in a 38-21 victory over Pittsburgh at home. Now, they’ll look to continue that offensive momentum against No. 5 Florida State.
The Hokies have earned nearly 350 yards of offense but still need Grant Wells at quarterback. Luckily, Kyron Drones had his best game as a Hokies quarterback after he threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions in last weekend’s win against Pittsburgh.
Drones also ran another 41 yards, but it was on 21 attempts. Still, he scored two more rushing touchdowns and was responsible for five touchdowns in the win.
The offense has improved and will take on a Florida State defense that has been above average but nothing spectacular.
Florida State’s Offense On Fire
Meanwhile, Florida State’s offense has earned over 427 yards per game. Jordan Travis has thrown for ten touchdowns and one interception and has looked like a potential Heisman candidate with the Seminoles.
Florida State is coming off a high against Clemson on the road and then had a bye week. So they’ve had time to recover and prepare.
The Pick
Therefore, I’ll take the Over in this matchup at one of the top online sportsbooks. We’ve got value here.
NCAAF Pick: Over 53 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
TCU Horned Frogs vs. Iowa State Cyclones
Saturday, October 07, 2023 – 08:00 PM EDT at Jack Trice Stadium
The AI Model suggests TCU will earn a 33-23 win over Iowa State on Saturday. The Horned Frogs went to the CFP Championship last season but already have two losses this year.
The AI Model thinks they’ll rebound against Iowa State as 5.5-point favorites. I do too.
Iowa State’s Bumpy Ride
The Iowa State Cyclones just let up 50 points to Oklahoma in a 50-20 loss. The Cyclones already have losses to Iowa and Ohio and are now 2-3 on the season. Due to a gambling scandal, Iowa State doesn’t have their No.1 quarterback. So they’re using Rocco Becht, who hasn’t been good for the Cyclones.
He’s thrown nine touchdowns as a freshman but also has five interceptions. He’s averaging one interception a game and has just 1,085 yards passing in five games. Becht is also playing behind a terrible offensive line in pass protection. They also haven’t blocked all that well, either.
The offense has earned 317 yards per game, with under 100 yards on the ground. That’s not your typical Iowa State offense. They used to be dominant with guys like Breece Hall in the backfield.
TCU Set to Shine
Meanwhile, TCU has held teams to 370.8 yards per game. The run defense is fantastic, and the secondary has played very well. TCU should be able to keep Iowa State out of the endzone for most of this game.
On the other hand, the Horned Frogs have earned nearly 500 yards of offense per game, including almost 200 on the ground.
Behind Chandler Morris, the offense is good. Morris has thrown for over 1,400 yards and has 11 touchdowns with three interceptions. His QBR is 78.8, which is 21st in the nation.
TCU has been effective in the run game and should break many tackles down the field against a Cyclones team that has missed countless tackles this season.
The Pick
Back TCU -5.5 and ride with the AI Model.
NCAAF Pick: TCU -5.5 (-110) at Caesars Sportsbook
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
