Thursday College Football Picks Today: Best Bets & Predictions (Oct. 15)
By Chris Amberley in College Football
Published:
- Thursday’s college football slate features three midweek conference clashes
- Two road favorites and one total headline my college football picks today
- Read below for Thursday college football picks today, including best bets and predictions for Oct. 15
Thursday night’s prime-time schedule delivers three matchups worth a look. The weekend slate gets the attention, but these midweek games give you a clean board to work with.
From a ground-and-pound mismatch to a shootout in San Marcos, I have worked through the offensive efficiency metrics and situational angles across all three.
Here are the college football picks today, including the best and predictions for the Oct. 15 slate.
Thursday College Football Picks Today
Thursday College Football Best Bets and Predictions
I’m using on both traditional sportsbook college football odds and prediction market prices. Check out the BetMGM promo code and Kalshi promo code to see the current offers.
College Football Picks Today #1: East Carolina -4.5
Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. The East Carolina Pirates (3-2) enter Protective Stadium on a three-game winning streak powered by a ground-and-pound attack.
Emory Williams managed the game well in the 28-12 win over Rice, throwing for 143 yards and two touchdowns while adding another score on the ground. He threw for 341 yards and three touchdowns against North Carolina Central in the previous game.
TJ Engleman Jr. is central to my East Carolina vs UAB prediction. The tailback has gone for 136, 129 and 99 yards over his last three games, a 364-yard stretch that accounts for nearly all of his 386 rushing yards on the season.
The UAB Blazers (3-3) offense has stalled out, averaging just 22.2 points per game and coming off a 38-13 loss to Memphis. Ryder Burton has struggled to protect the football, which is the wrong profile against this opponent.
East Carolina’s defense has been the backbone of the run, conceding 17, nine and 12 points during the three wins for a 12.7 average. Lay the 4.5 points, or back them outright if you would rather avoid the spread entirely.
College Football Picks Today #2: Georgia Southern -3.5
This Sun Belt clash kicks off at 7:35 p.m. ET on ESPN2. The Georgia Southern Eagles (2-4) hold a clear efficiency edge over the Old Dominion Monarchs (2-4) in this matchup.
Georgia Southern’s passing game powers an offense averaging 395.8 total yards per game. Max Johnson has compiled 860 passing yards with nine touchdowns against one interception across his last three starts.
Old Dominion has no equivalent. The Monarchs average 18.2 points per game behind a limited passing attack producing just 143.5 yards through the air, and they sit at minus-2 in turnover differential.
Their defense allows 27.5 points per game, which gives Johnson a real opportunity to push the ball downfield. Georgia Southern’s passing production makes them worth backing as a short road favorite.
The caveat is that Old Dominion just held Appalachian State to three points, so the defense is capable of a night that makes this number sweat.
College Football Picks Today #3: Colorado State vs Texas State Over 69.5 Total Points
- Pick: Over 69.5 (-111) at BetMGM
The night caps off at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBSSN when the Colorado State Rams (2-3) visit the Texas State Bobcats (2-3). If you love defense, look away, because this one sets up as a track meet in San Marcos.
Colorado State scores 37.4 points per game but their defense gives up 38.6 points and 493.2 total yards per contest. They allowed 59 and 56 points in their last two games, both of which came before the bye.
Texas State should be happy to trade scores. The Bobcats average 34.8 points and a staggering 531.6 total yards per game, with Brad Jackson throwing for 1,226 yards and 13 touchdowns and Torrance Burgess Jr. adding 614 rushing yards.
Texas State’s defense is no fix either, surrendering 300.4 passing yards per game. Anyone looking through Texas prediction markets will see the Bobcats priced as heavy favorites, but the total is the cleaner angle on this one.
Both teams are coming off byes, which is the one argument against. Each had two weeks to work on the defensive problems that produced those scorelines.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
