Late-Night College Football Predictions: Week 7 ATS Picks & Best Bets
By Eric Rosales in College Football
Published:
- There are three late-night college football ATS picks to close out Saturday’s slate
- Utah and New Mexico are both heavy double-digit favorites in their matchups
- Read below for my CFB ATS picks and best bets for Oct. 17
Welcome to the late-night Saturday slate for Oct. 17. Bettors looking to close out their evening have three strong matchups to attack, each featuring a road favorite with a clear statistical edge.
Undefeated Utah (5-0) visits Colorado, Fresno State (4-2) takes on San Diego State, and New Mexico (4-1) makes the Pacific trip to face Hawaii. I priced every pick on Kalshi, and you can compare those numbers across other prediction market apps before kickoff.
Late-Night College Football Best Bets for Oct. 17
Odds as of October 17. Click here for a BetMGM promo code to bet on college football games this season.
All three picks are priced near a coin flip on Kalshi, with Utah and New Mexico at 50¢ and Fresno State at 49¢. Each contract pays $1 if the favorite covers, so a 50¢ price returns 50¢ in profit.
The key takeaway: you’re getting near-even prices on three road favorites. New users can claim the Kalshi promo code before trading any of these spreads.
Late-Night CFB ATS Picks
CFB ATS Pick #1: Utah at Colorado
Kicking off at 10:15pm ET on ESPN, this Utah vs Colorado matchup features a major gap in the trenches. Utah’s efficient offense is racking up 42.8 points and 502 total yards per game.
The rushing attack is the Utes’ bread and butter, churning out 238 yards per game. Wayshawn Parker has already tallied 499 rushing yards and seven touchdowns out of the backfield this season.
Colorado sits at 2-3 and has struggled to handle that kind of physicality. The Buffaloes surrender 25.4 points and 131.2 rushing yards per contest. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Julian Lewis has thrown for 733 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions, but the offense averages a meager 18.6 points.
Utah quarterback Devon Dampier owns a 12-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio, giving the visitors the clean execution needed to cover this number. Expect Utah to lean on its rushing attack and pull away in the second half.
- Pick: Utah -14.5 (50¢ at Kalshi)
CFB ATS Pick #2: Fresno State at San Diego State
This 10:30pm ET Fresno State vs San Diego State clash on CBS Sports Network comes down to turnover differential. Fresno State enters at 4-2, scoring a solid 28.3 points per game while allowing just 20.
Quarterback Jayden Mandal has been a steadying force, throwing for 1,252 yards, eight touchdowns and a single interception. Most importantly, the Bulldogs have committed just three total turnovers on the season.
San Diego State is reeling at 2-4 and giving up 35 points per game. Quarterback Jayden Denegal has managed 787 passing yards with six touchdowns, but his five interceptions highlight a lack of ball security. Overall, the Aztecs have coughed up nine team turnovers.
Laying 7.5 points on the road is never comfortable, but the Bulldogs’ ball security makes them a backable favorite. Fresno State is built to capitalize on Aztec mistakes and cover this number.
- Pick: Fresno State -7.5 (49¢ at Kalshi)
CFB ATS Pick #3: New Mexico at Hawaii
Closing out the night at 10:30pm ET on FS1, New Mexico travels to the islands at 4-1. The Lobos are posting 43.4 points per game while holding opponents to just 10.6.
The New Mexico vs Hawaii edge starts on the ground, where the Lobos average 208.8 rushing yards per game. Hawaii, meanwhile, is stuck at 1-5 and managing just 16.7 points per game.
Quarterback Micah Alejado has racked up 1,613 passing yards, but he has thrown only five touchdowns against four interceptions. The Rainbow Warriors’ defensive front is also giving up 170.3 rushing yards per contest, a difficult matchup against New Mexico’s ground game.
The real separator is the Lobos’ secondary, which has already recorded 12 interceptions. If Alejado is forced to throw while playing from behind, New Mexico has the profile to cover this road number.
- Pick: New Mexico -14.5 (50¢ at Kalshi)
Sports Writer & Editor
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
