Even after an under .500 week in week 6, I’m still 10 games over .500 for the season. The games are getting tighter with October nearing the midway point. Expect some unexpected results, much like the Syracuse straight-up win this week as a 24-point underdog against Clemson.
Here’s the week 7 college football picks against the spread.
Overall: 23-13 ATS
Favorites: 11-7 ATS
North Carolina State (-11.5) at Pittsburgh
I shouldn’t be surprised by the spread. I get it. Many believe this is a sandwich game, with the Wolfpack coming off an impressive win last week against Louisville and a matchup with Notre Dame in their next game.
So it’s natural to expect a letdown. This Wolfpack team should continue to steamroll. North Carolina State was a trendy pick in the offseason based on its experience and leadership. Those pieces won’t allow North Carolina State to overlook at bad Pittsburgh team. The team is going through some growing pains and have only two wins this season — Youngstown State and Rice. The defense isn’t stopping anyone and the offense hasn’t been good enough to move the chains.
North Carolina State is far more talented, so expect the Wolfpack to take care of business. — Go Chalk with North Carolina State
Kansas at Iowa State (-22.5)
Maybe I’m jumping on the bandwagon. Or maybe I’m recognizing a more talented team in Iowa State. The Cyclones pulled off one of the biggest upsets in spread history, beating Oklahoma in week 6 straight up as a more than 30 point underdog.
The Cyclones shouldn’t have been that much of an underdog anyway. The wide receivers are some of the most talented in the Big 12, and the defense has shown improvement. Iowa State has competed against Iowa and Texas and beaten the other teams on the schedule. The Jayhawks are horrible again, so Iowa State should outclass them with talent. Look for that big win to create momentum and not a hangover. — Go Chalk with Iowa State
Baylor at Oklahoma State (-26)
Sometimes you have to give up a ton of points to pick winners in college football. Baylor has kept it close for the most part in recent weeks, but don’t be fooled by the final score. Those games were over well before the final whistle. Oklahoma State will be out for blood, with one-loss possibly being enough to squeeze into the College Football Playoff.
They need to be impressive and they have the weapons offensively to be impressive. Stay away from the Bears. — Go Chalk with Oklahoma State
Underdogs: 12-6 ATS
South Carolina (+3) at Tennessee
At this juncture of the season, it comes down to motivation in games like these. Both teams are similar in that they have some really good parts, but some cringe-worthy ones, too.
I like South Carolina’s defense and the offense is coming along. The Gamecocks have looked better against their competition this season, so I’m banking on the Gamecocks to have more urgency in this one. The Volunteers are playing tight and it will show. Butch Jones’ time is limited. — Go Against The Chalk with South Carolina
Purdue (+17) at Wisconsin
Purdue should be able to do enough offensively to keep up with the Badgers this week. Wisconsin has been getting too comfortable with slow starts. Eventually that will come back to haunt them. The Boilermakers can score better than recent opponents for the Badgers, so be careful in falling behind.
The Boilermakers can weather the storm of Wisconsin’s running game, so this should be within one score in the fourth quarter. — Go Against The Chalk with Purdue
Rutgers (+3) at Illinois
Watch out for an upset in this one.
Illinois is coming off a bad second-half at Iowa and a lifeless effort against Nebraska. The Fighting Illini can’t get into the endzone and the defense doesn’t do much either. That’s a bad combination.
Rutgers is terrible, too, but the momentum is there for better results. Rutgers has had a week to prepare for this game, so watch out for the upset. — Go Against The Chalk with Rutgers
