Opening College Football Week 9 Odds, Spreads and Early Predictions

• Week 9 of the college football season begins Thursday night when Coastal Carolina hosts Troy
• The top matchup of the week has Michigan visiting Michigan State
• The full list of Week 9 opening lines and odds can be found below with predictions

Week 9 of the college football season is highlighted by two interesting Big Ten matchups, one featuring two top-10 teams and the other a meeting between two top-20 squads.

#6 Michigan takes the short trip to East Lansing to take on #8 Michigan State at noon Saturday at Spartan Stadium. Both teams are 7-0 and the Wolverines have opened as 4-point favorites. It is the first time since 1964 the in-state rivals have met while both were in the top 10.

On Saturday night, #5 Ohio State plays host to #20 Penn State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. The Buckeyes are 16.5 favorites on the opening line.

One other game involving ranked teams is #10 Ole Miss at #18 Auburn.

Here is a look at the Week 9 opening odds:

College Football Week 9 Opening Odds

Odds as of October 24th at DraftKings.

Showdown in East Lansing

This marks the first time since 1964 the in-state rivals have met while both were in the top 10.

Michigan tuned up for the showdown by beating visiting Northwestern 33-7 on Saturday as Blake Corum and Hassan Haskins combined for 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns.

This Michigan RB duo vs Northwestern⚡

Hassan Haskins
◾ 23 carries, 110 yards
◾ 2 TDs

Blake Corum
◾ 19 carries, 119 yards
◾ 2 TDs pic.twitter.com/9rXg6zx6vv

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 23, 2021

The Wolverines closed strong after a sluggish start. They led by just three points at halftime before outscoring the Wildcats 23-0 in the first 16:40 of the second half.

Corum finished with 119 yards and two touchdowns. Haskins ran for 110 yards and two scores. Cade McNamara was 20 of 27 for 129 yards for the Wolverines.

Michigan State had an open week to prepare for Michigan. Five of the Spartans’ seven wins have been at least 17 points, though they slipped past Indiana 20-15 on the road in their last game.

You get the feeling the oddsmaker still aren’t taking Michigan seriously. However, the Wolverines certainly look deserving of that #6 ranking and will prove it by covering against Michigan State.

Border War Loses Luster

This shaped up as a huge game until Penn State (5-2) lost two games in a row, including dropping a 20-18 decision to Illinois in nine overtimes – an NCAA record — at home Saturday as a 23.5-point favorite.

Penn State and Illinois were tied at 10 after regulation, exchanged field goals in the first two overtimes, then began to alternate two-point conversion attempts in the third OT. Casey Washington won it for Illinois when he caught Brandon Peters’ pass in the ninth extra session.

Brandon Peters-Casey Washington for the win pic.twitter.com/P2gWNuBbtk

— IllinoisLoyalty (@IllinoisLoyalty) October 23, 2021

Neither team converted until the eighth overtime, when Isaiah Williams ran one in to put Illinois up 18-16. Noah Cain kept the game alive for Penn State with a scoring run.

In the ninth OT, Penn State’s Sean Clifford’s pass to Parker Washington was broken up by linebacker Khalan Tolson. Illinois then scored the winner on its possession.

Ohio State (6-1) routed Indiana 54-6 in Bloomington as C.J. Stroud threw four touchdown passes and TreVeyon Henderson scored three times.

TreVeyon Henderson is SPECIAL 🔥

Another @OhioStateFB touchdown.

pic.twitter.com/2nmOyN5pTQ

— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 24, 2021

Henderson broke a 7-all tie with a 21-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter that began a string of 37 straight points by the Buckeyes to end the first half.

Stroud was 21 of 28 for 266 yards as Ohio State won its 25th consecutive Big Ten game.

Ohio State is playing well as any team in the country right now and will cover the big number against the reeling Nittany Lions.

Wake Forest Unbeaten, Undervalued

#13 Wake Forest is a 16-point home favorite over Duke and that line seems light considering the Demon Deacons are 7-0 and playing at home. The Blue Devils are just 3-4.

Wake Forest outscored Army 70-56 at West Point on Saturday as Sam Hartman threw for a career-high 458 yards and five touchdowns. That eye-popping score surely attracted bettors’ attention, so it seems likely this spread is going up.