What ten games appear to be the best bets and the best picks against the spread going into Week 7? Here you go. Enjoy.
Week 7 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
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It’s never great when you get locked into an investment theme, but in the week of big, massive games, there’s definitely an interesting potential value play across the board – the underdogs in the monster games. You’ll see in a moment.
Here are the ten games that look to be a wee bit favorable …
10 Best ATS Picks So Far: 32-31
Click on each game for the game preview and fearless prediction.
10. Virginia at Miami
LINE: Miami -2.5, o/u: 43.5
ATS PICK: Virginia
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
There’s always a reason to worry when something looks way too obvious.
Miami has yet to beat a Power Five team, it struggled to get by Central Michigan, and it’s coming off a loss – but an entertaining one – against a mediocre Virginia Tech squad. Virginia has had two weeks off since the Notre Dame loss, and it has the defensive front to destroy the mediocre Hurricane O line. Go with the better team … even if the public is telling you not to.
And now, to continue with the Week 7 them of underdogs – but taking them to a whole other level – we start with …
9. Florida State at Clemson
LINE: Clemson -26.5, o/u: 60.5
ATS PICK: Florida State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
There’s a chance that Clemson comes out really, really grouchy.
It’s had to hear about the North Carolina close call for two weeks, Dabo Swinney is salty about the Trevor Lawrence shoulder concerns, and overall, the team hasn’t been quite the killer everyone expected it to be. However, Florida State has the athletes and the upside to keep this from being a total and complete annihilation.
Clemson will win, but the 26.5 is a wee bit large against an FSU team that has the offense playing well. This is a rested group of Seminoles that might not be able to pull it off, but remember, even a 40-14 loss gets it done for you.
Moving on with yet another underdog in a large game …
8. Nebraska at Minnesota
LINE: Minnesota -7.5, o/u: 50.5
ATS PICK: Minnesota
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Minnesota does absolutely NOTHING easy. Even the easy 40-17 win over Illinois last week was hard – it took a half to get going. The Gophers failed to win by more than 7.5 against a bad Purdue team, Georgia Southern, Fresno State and South Dakota State – Nebraska is better than all of them.
And then there’s the big X factor – the weather.
It’s supposed to be around 34ish on Saturday night in Minneapolis with a snain mix of rain and snow. That doesn’t necessarily mean the score will be kept low, but it’s just enough to expect this game might be just a wee bit weird … and close.
And you want MORE underdogs? You got ’em …
7. USC at Notre Dame
LINE: Notre Dame -11.5, o/u: 59.5
ATS PICK: USC
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
The number is just way too big for USC vs. Notre Dame … maybe.
USC got rocked 49-14 on its last trip to South Bend in 2017, and lost by ten in 2015 – 2011 was the last time the Trojans won the rivalry game on the road.
Notre Dame is playing well, USC is playing okay. USC isn’t playing well on the road, Notre Dame is killing everyone at home …
11.5 is just too big for USC vs. Notre Dame.
The two weeks off after the loss at Washington should be a big help for a Trojan team that won’t win, but should have just enough offensive punch to come back late and handle the number in garbage time.
Okay, enough of hoping the lesser teams rise up …
6. Alabama at Texas A&M
LINE: Alabama -17.5, o/u: 61.5
ATS PICK: Alabama
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
I know what you’re thinking.
In a week of big underdogs in large games, this one seems like it should be right there. And why not?
Texas A&M hasn’t been great, but it only lost by 14 – okay, so it took a miraculous late cover – at Clemson, lost by just eight at home to Auburn, and it’s had two weeks to get its slow-and-go style to possibly work to annoy Alabama. This is also the first actual game against an above-average team that Bama has faced all season long.
The Tide have had two weeks off to rest, too. See if you can get the number at 17 or under, A&M isn’t slowing down this Bama performance art offense.
Enough of this … back to the dogs …
NEXT: The Top Five
5. Florida at LSU
LINE: LSU -13.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS PICK: Florida
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
If the LSU offense can keep doing that against this Florida defense, you simply tip your cap and go on your way.
The real concern is a Florida offense with a banged up Kyle Trask at quarterback and without the big-time firepower to keep up if Joe Burrow and company get rolling.
The bigger concern is Joe Burrow and company going against a real defense.
Georgia Southern, Northwestern State, at Vanderbilt, Utah State. And the world wants to call Burrow the Next Big Thing by rocking that?
Oh, but he was brilliant against Texas. Yeah … everyone is brilliant against a Texas defense that’s 126th in the nation and giving up over 300 passing yards per game.
It’s all just enough to expect that the Gator D loaded with NFL talent can keep on doing what it does. No one has scored more than 21 against it so far, Auburn was held to 13 points, and there appears to be a wee bit of a feisty “no one believes in us” thing happening here.
The Gators might not win it, but 13.5 with this defense? It’s the correct call.
NEXT: Okay, a slight break from the dogs for the Devils …
4. Washington State at Arizona State
LINE: Arizona State -1.5, o/u: 59.5
ATS PICK: Arizona State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
The number is just too spicy not to take a bite.
The Pac-12 is gonna Pac-12, and no one knows the more than an Arizona State team that somehow didn’t show up at home against Colorado, and went on the road and was brilliant against Cal. Now it’s back at home with a Washington State team that has yet to do anything of note against anyone of note.
The Mike Leach-described “fat, dumb, entitled” Cougars have had two weeks to sit and stew on that – along with a two-game losing streak – but they’re not fat, they’re not dumb, and okay, maybe they might be a little entitled – at least if the head coach says so.
They also just might not be very good.
At the 1.5 number, all you’re realistically asking is for the terrific Arizona State defense to slow down the Wazzu machine and get a win.
The Sun Devils can and should be able to pound away with a rested Eno Benjamin – ASU has had two weeks off – and the defense that’s been able to hold everyone but Colorado to 17 points or fewer isn’t going to get roasted at home.
There’s one other key element to this … the elements.
It’s supposed to be a cool and lovely 59-degrees in Pullman, Washington on Saturday afternoon. Perfect football weather.
The game is in Tempe. It’s going to be 90-degrees at the 12:30 am kickoff.
NEXT: Enough of this … back to the big dogs ….
3. Iowa State at West Virginia
LINE: Iowa State -10.5, o/u: 54.5
ATS PICK: Iowa State
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
West Virginia isn’t THAT bad.
It’s not the Mountaineer team of last year, the offense isn’t anything consistently special, and the defense isn’t good enough to pick up the slack, but it’s a home game, and a decent-enough team is a double-digit home dog.
And I do love my DDHDs.
Several years ago the picks at CFN went on a ridiculous run hitting 80% ATS for a stretch on double-digit home dogs in conference play after the first week of October. It was an aberration, but it was enough to believe that at this time of year in conference play, home teams tend to be just good enough to not get destroyed.
Iowa State is playing well, Brock Purdy would be a lock for the Big 12 Player of the Year if it wasn’t for those Hurts and Ehlinger guys, and the offense has enough to explode on the Mountaineers.
But it’s the team’s second road game of the season. It lost its first one to Baylor.
The world is offering you 10.5 points to a home team in conference play that might go bowling. Don’t be rude.
Want a 2nd opinion on who to bet in the Iowa State vs West Virginia game?
Click here to get WinnersAndWhiners.com’s predictions on the side, total, first half, and exotic bets! All Free!
NEXT: But you’re worried about this underdog thing and need one more that goes the other way. Here you go …
2. UNLV at Vanderbilt
LINE: Vanderbilt -14.5, o/u: 57.5
ATS PICK: Vanderbilt
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Vanderbilt has shown you absolutely nothing so far to suggest that it’s a lock to score 14.5 points, much less win by that many.
It got destroyed by a bad Purdue team, it got lit up for 66 points – and it could’ve been so, so much worse – against LSU – it struggled in a home 24-18 win over a bad Northern Illinois squad, and it just lost 31-6 against a bad Ole Miss team.
Vanderbilt is bad.
UNLV is bad, and then add a whole heaping helping of really bad right on top of it.
The Rebels can’t find anything that consistently works. The lines have been awful, the offense can’t get going, and the defense made Wyoming look like the Kansas City Chiefs.
How do you know you’re having problems? North-freaking-western hung 30 on you and won by 16.
The number would’ve been higher except that Boise State – last week’s No. 1 ATS pick of the week – needed a minor miracle to cover the 22.5. but it won by 25.
Vanderbilt, to be as nice as possible about this, you’re a (bleep)ing SEC team at home against a (bleep)ing Group of Five team that can’t come closer than two touchdowns against ANY(bleep)ONE.
Play like it.
NEXT: And, of course, to close this out, here comes the doggiest of dogs …
Week 7 Fearless Predictions, Game Previews
ACC | Big Ten | Big 12 | Pac-12 | SEC
– CFN Fearless Predictions & Game Previews
– Week 7 Expert Picks & Predictions
– Week 7 Final Thoughts & Betting Advice
1. Oklahoma vs. Texas
LINE: Oklahoma -10.5, o/u: 75.5
ATS PICK: Texas
– Bet on this, BetMGM latest line
Sometimes it’s just the right move to make.
It’s like when you have a Hall of Fame pitcher in a high-leverage situation in an elimination playoff game, and you bring Kershaw in to …
Okay, bad example, but if the world is handling you Texas and 10.5 points against anyone – especially in this rivalry – the professional move is to do what you’re supposed to.
Texas has won two of the last four Red River Showdowns – despite being the worse team – and it hasn’t lost to OU in this game by double-digits since the 63-21 whacking in 2012.
Yes, Oklahoma won the Big 12 Championship last season by 12, but that’s not this. The showdown in Dallas is a different animal.
Texas could win this outright.
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Oklahoma might have the amazing offense, and it might have Jalen Hurts, and it might have an improved defense and it might have played NO ONE so far.
Okay, so whacking around Texas Tech 55-16 was impressive, but Houston, South Dakota, UCLA and Kansas. Yippee.
Texas has at least played Louisiana Tech, LSU and Oklahoma State. Those three are pretty good, and West Virginia is okay.
The defense might not be anything special, but all you care about is the 10.5 in what should be a wild-and-crazy offensive shootout.
