No. 1 Georgia survived a huge scare as a 31-point favorite in Saturday’s college football action, so the point spreads don’t always mean a lot.
But they do give us a pulse to start with for the week, and a place to get some value bets in before the lines move throughout the week.
In Week 6 of the college football season, the game everyone thought would be the week’s biggest — Alabama-Texas A&M and the Nick Saban-Jimbo Fisher grudge match. But with A&M already having lost twice and Bama looking vulnerable, particularly with quarterback Bryce Young leaving with an injury Saturday, that one has taken a backseat. Alabama is favored by 23½ points, so not much of a contest is expected.
Likewise, the annual Texas-Oklahoma showdown at the Texas State Fair has lost a lot of luster with four combined losses between the teams. Oklahoma is a 4-point favorite to open.
Instead, eyes turn elsewhere around the country, especially to Lawrence, Kansas, where the nation’s most surprising 5-0 team, the Jayhawks, plays host to another unbeaten in TCU. The Horned Frogs are laying 5 points on the opening line.
Also, No. 7 Tennessee travels to 4-1 LSU, with the Volunteers opening as a 3½-point favorite, and the Pac-12 race will thin out with games between Washington State (4-1) and No. 6 USC (5-0) and between No. 12 Utah (4-1) and UCLA (5-0). USC is favored by 10½ to start, and Utah is a 3½-point road favorite.
Here’s a complete schedule and list of the available Week 6 point spreads and over/under totals at Caesars Sportsbook.
(*no lines available yet for games involving FCS teams)
Top 25 games
No. 4 Michigan (-23, o/u 59) at Indiana, 11 a.m. Saturday, CBS
No. 8 Tennessee (-3½, o/u 65) at No. 25 LSU, 11 a.m. Saturday, ESPN
Arkansas at No. 23 Mississippi State (-4½, o/u 61), 11 a.m., SEC Network
No. 17 TCU (-5, o/u 67½) at No. 19 Kansas, 11 a.m. Saturday, FS1
South Florida at No. 24 Cincinnati (-27, o/u 59), 1:30 p.m., ESPN+
Auburn at No. 2 Georgia (-28, o/u 49), 2:30 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Texas Tech at No. 7 Oklahoma State (-10, o/u 67½), 2:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1
No. 11 Utah (-3½) at No. 18 UCLA, 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Fox
No. 3 Ohio State (-24½, o/u 63) at Michigan State, 3 p.m. Saturday, ABC
No. 9 Ole Miss (-18, o/u 59½) at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network
No. 21 Washington (-13½, o/u 58½) at Arizona State, 3 p.m. Saturday
No. 5 Clemson (-22, o/u 50) at Boston College, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Washington State at No. 6 USC (-10½, o/u 66), 6:30 p.m. Saturday
South Carolina at No. 13 Kentucky (-11, o/u 49½), 6:30 p.m. Saturday, SEC Network
No. 16 BYU at Notre Dame (-2½, o/u 52), 6:30 p.m. Saturday, NBC
Army at No. 15 Wake Forest (-15, o/u 67), 6:30 p.m. Saturday
No. 20 Kansas State (-2, o/u 46) at Iowa State, 6:30 p.m. Saturday, ESPNU
Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (-23½, o/u 51), 7 p.m. Saturday, CBS
Florida State at No. 14 NC State (-4, o/u 52), 7 p.m. Saturday, ACC Network
No. 12 Oregon (-10½, o/u 70½) at Arizona, 7 p.m. Saturday
Other games
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 5
SMU at Central Florida (-3½, o/u 64½), 6 p.m., ESPN2
FRIDAY, OCT. 7
Nebraska (-2, o/u 52) at Rutgers, 6 p.m., FS1
Houston at Memphis (-3, o/u 57), 6:30 pm., ESPN2
Colorado State at Nevada (-4, o/u 44), 9:30 p.m., FS1
UNLV at San Jose State (-4, o/u 52½), 9:30 p.m., CBSSN
SATURDAY, OCT. 8
Texas (-4, o/u 65) vs. Oklahoma at Dallas, 11 a.m., ABC
Missouri at Florida (-10½, o/u 54½), 11 a.m., ESPNU
Louisville (-5, o/u 51) at Virginia, 11 a.m., ACC Network
Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan (-4½, o/u 58), 11 a.m., CBSSN
Purdue at Maryland (-3½, o/u 59), 11 a.m., BTN
Buffalo (pick ‘em, o/u 54½) at Bowling Green, 11 a.m., ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Georgia State (-2, o/u 65), 1 p.m.
Akron at Ohio (-11, o/u 60), 1 p.m.
Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh (-14, o/u 43½), 2:30 p.m., ACC Network
Wisconsin (-10, o/u 44) at Northwestern, 2:30 p.m., BTN
East Carolina at Tulane (-2½, o/u 53), 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
Liberty (-24½, o/u 50½) at UMass, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Middle Tennessee at UAB (-10, o/u 53), 2:30 p.m.
Tulsa (-4, o/u 47) at Navy, 2:30 p.m., CBSSN
Toledo (-6, o/u 61) at Northern Illinois, 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Kent State (-3½, o/u 57) at Miami (Ohio), 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
Ball State at Central Michigan (-8½, o/u 63½), 2:30 p.m., ESPN+
North Carolina at Miami (-4, o/u 65½), 3 p.m., ESPN2
Duke (-3½, o/u 53) at Georgia Tech, 3 p.m.
Western Kentucky at UTSA (-4½, o/u 70½), 5 p.m., ESPN+
Air Force (-9½, o/u 55) at Utah State, 6 p.m., FS1
Appalachian State (-19, o/u 55½) at Texas State, 6 p.m., ESPN+
James Madison (-10½, o/u 57½) at Arkansas State, 6 p.m., NFL Network
Wyoming (-3, o/u 37½) at New Mexico, 6 p.m., CBSSN
Southern Miss at Troy (-6, o/u 45½), 6 p.m., ESPN+
UConn (-4, o/u 49) at Florida International, 6 p.m.
UTEP (-1, o/u 53) at Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m., ESPN+
Iowa at Illinois (-3½, o/u 35), 6:30 p.m., BTN
Coastal Carolina (-16, o/u 58½) at UL-Monroe, 7 p.m., ESPN+
Fresno State at Boise State (-6, o/u 48), 8:45 p.m., FS1
Hawaii at San Diego State (-20, o/u 49½), 9:30 p.m., CBSSN
Oregon State (-6½, o/u 55½) at Stanford, 10 p.m., ESPN