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Week 9 College Football Against the Spread Picks

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in College Football

Updated Dec 16, 2022 · 2:44 AM PST

Iowa handoff
Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras, left, hands off to running back Tyler Goodson during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Maryland, Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, in College Park, Md. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
  • Week 9 of College Football features a heavy slate on Saturday, October 30th
  • Iowa and Wisconsin faceoff in Madison, while Florida State travels to Clemson
  • Read below for the best ATS picks for Week 9 of the CFB season

Week 9 of the College Football season has arrived, and there’s some intriguing matchups on tap for the weekend. The loaded slate on Saturday, October 30th features several games with betting value.

Iowa comes off it’s bye week to face Wisconsin, while FSU brings a three-game winning streak into Death Valley to take on struggling Clemson. Over in Salt Lake City, Utah is a near-touchdown favorite over UCLA in a crucial Pac-12 South Division matchup.

Here are three ATS picks to consider for Week 9 of CFB.

Iowa vs Wisconsin Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Iowa Hawkeyes +3.5 (-110) +150 O 36.5 (-110)
Wisconsin Badgers -3.5  (-110) -170 U 36.5 (-110)

All odds as of Oct 27th at DraftKings

Pick #1: Hawkeyes Bounce Back vs Badgers

Iowa (6-1) will look to bounce back from a shocking upset loss to Purdue when they travel to Wisconsin to face the Badgers in Week 9. Kirk Ferentz’s team had an extra week of rest to prepare for this crucial Big Ten West clash. The Hawkeyes are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a bye week.

Wisconsin (4-3) is favored in this game in part because they beat the Boilermakers 30-13 in Week 8. The Badgers’ rushing attack was explosive against Purdue, racking up 290 yards. RB’s Chez Mellusi and Braelon Allen both rushed for over 100 yards and combined for three TDs. They won’t have it as easy against an elite Iowa rush defense.

Iowa ranks seventh nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 89.7 yards per game and 2.73 yards per rush. Top cornerback Riley Moss will miss the Wisconsin game due to injury, but senior CB Terry Roberts is a quality replacement. The Hawkeyes lead the nation in interceptions (16) and should exploit Badgers’ turnover-prone QB Graham Mertz.

This is going to be a grind-it-out-game that comes down to a few big plays. Iowa QB Spencer Petras has been a bit more accurate than Mertz and has a go-to tight end in Sam LaPorta. Look for Iowa’s defense to stifle Wisconsin’s run game, and for Petras to make a few big throws to help Iowa spring the upset.

  • Pick: Iowa +3.5 (-110)

Florida State vs Clemson Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
Florida State Seminoles +10.5 (-120) +300 O 47.5 (-110)
Clemson Tigers -10.5 (+100) -400 U 47.5 (-110)

Pick #2: Seminoles Cover Against Tigers

Clemson (4-3) continues to get respect by oddsmakers in the college football odds despite being an ugly 0-7 ATS record this season. The Tigers haven’t beaten any Power 5 opponent by more than six points, yet are favored by double digits against an FSU team playing it’s best football of the season.

The Seminoles (3-4) had a rough start to the season, but they’ve covered the spread in back-to-back victories over UNC and UMass. FSU ran for a  whopping 365 yards on the Minutemen, marking the sixth time this season the Seminoles have surpassed 200 rushing yards. Jashaun Corbin is one of the ACC’s top rushers, while QB Jordan Travis has accounted for 344 yards on the ground.

Clemson has received praise for it’s defense this season, but it’s been exposed by strong offenses. Pittsburgh gashed the Tigers for almost 500 yards in Week 8, including 162 on the ground. The Tigers are dealing with several key injuries on defense, including to DE Justin Foster and DT Bryan Bresee.

Clemson’s injuries don’t just stop on defense, however, as it’s been announced that leading leading rusher Koby Pace will miss the FSU game. The Seminoles have the pass-rush to get pressure on DJ Uiagalelei, as they average close to three sacks per game. Uiagalelei is only completing 54.8% of his passes and struggles under pressure.

Clemson is likely going to fall to 0-8 ATS when you consider the injuries and how explosive FSU has been the past few weeks. The Tigers are getting respected based on name and reputation, but they have no business being double-digits favorites over any ACC team right now. Look for FSU’s ground game to take advantage of Clemson’s banged-up defense and keep this one close.

  • Pick: Florida State +10.5 (-120)

UCLA vs Utah Odds

Team Spread Moneyline Total
UCLA Bruins +6.5 (-110) +195 O 60.5 (-110)
Utah Utes -6.5 (-110) -240 U 60.5 (-110)

Pick #3: Utes Beat Up Bruins

Utah (4-3) will look to keep it’s Pac-12 Championship hopes alive when it welcomes UCLA (5-3) to Rice-Eccles Stadium in Week 9. The Utes haven’t lost to the Bruins since 2015, winning the three last meetings by an average margin of 36 points. Kyle Whittingham’s team has dominated this rivalry due to their ability to shutdown the Bruins’ high-powered offense.

This CFB betting line is a bit skewed due to Utah suffering it’s first conference loss of the season in Week 8. The Utes gave up a season-high 42 points and 468 yards in an eight-point defeat to Oregon State. The Beavers have quietly been gashing all their opponents, however, and Utah was without LB Devin Lloyd in the second half due to targeting.

UCLA relies primarily on its ground game, which is going to be a problem against an elite Utes’ rush defense that has given up only seven scores all year. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson plays a big role in the ground game, but is dealing with an injury and is questionable against Utah. Freshman Ethan Garbers could make his first collegiate start in Salt Lake City.

The Utah offense is more balanced, with Tavion Thomas and Micah Bernard forming a lethal running back tandem and QB Cameron Rising boasting a strong arm. Rising has thrown for 820 yards and seven TDs over the past three weeks, while adding 158 yards and two additional scores on the ground.

There’s value with this Utah line due to some overreaction from the OSU game. Whether it’s DTR or Garbers under center for the Bruins, the Utes excel at getting to the QB and will bring the pressure. Look for the defense to bottle up UCLA’s ground game, and for Rising to pick apart the Bruins secondary en-route to a convincing home win.

  • Pick: Utah -6.5 (-110)
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