CFB betting: Biggest games of Week 7
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We're entering the biggest week of the college football season to date, which features two matchups between top-11 teams. No. 7 Florida will take on No. 5 LSU in Death Valley, while No. 11 Texas and No. 6 Oklahoma will meet in the Red River Rivalry.
Here's the betting breakdown for the biggest games in Week 7.
Florida at LSU (-13.5, 55)
Florida is coming off an impressive 24-13 win over Auburn, but oddsmakers are giving the Gators little respect for the second straight week. After being a home underdog to the Tigers, Florida is catching close to two touchdowns on the road against LSU.
The Gators have allowed just 16 total points in their last three wins over Tennessee, Towson, and Auburn, but their defense will face a much tougher test on Saturday. Heisman Trophy candidate Joe Burrow and the LSU offense rank first in scoring at 57.8 points per game. This matchup could come down to LSU's success in the red zone. The Tigers have the No. 1 red-zone offense in the FBS, while Florida features the top red-zone defense.
Florida and LSU both have difficult schedules, so winning this matchup is crucial to their respective chances of making the College Football Playoff. The Tigers have already defeated Texas on the road, and Florida has a win over Auburn on its resume. Meanwhile, LSU has won six of the last nine head-to-head meetings and is 7-2 against the spread (ATS) at home in this series.
The total is set at a modest 55 because Florida's allowed only 8.8 points per game. However, the Gators have yet to play an offense like LSU's, so the over is certainly worth considering.
Texas vs. Oklahoma (-11, 75)
Do you like scoring? If so, this is the game for you. Oklahoma has scored an average of 55.5 points per contest, while Texas is putting up 41.8. Not surprisingly, the total in this matchup has been set at a whopping 75 points.
We'll find out how good the Sooners are on Saturday. Oklahoma is 5-0, but its best win came at home over Texas Tech. The offense has been sensational behind Alabama transfer and Heisman Trophy candidate Jalen Hurts. Through five games, Hurts has thrown for 1,523 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 499 yards and seven scores on the ground. Hurts should feast on a Longhorns defense that's allowed 436.5 yards per game (102nd in the FBS) and 6 yards per play.
You probably know by now that Texas coach Tom Herman loves being in the underdog role. Herman is an astonishing 13-3 ATS and 10-6 straight up as an underdog in his head coaching career. The trends suggest he could cash again in this spot. The last seven regular-season Red River Rivalry games have been decided by a touchdown or less, and Texas is on a 6-1 ATS run in the series. Expect another high-scoring, competitive game on Saturday.
USC at Notre Dame (-11, 57)
Notre Dame rebounded from its tough loss at Georgia with two straight wins over Virginia and Bowling Green by a combined score of 87-20. The Irish will now face another tough test on Saturday when old rival USC visits South Bend.
The big news is the return of USC quarterback Kedon Slovis, who missed the last two games with a concussion. Matt Fink started in Slovis' absence and led the Trojans to an upset win over Utah. However, he proceeded to play poorly in a loss at Washington, and the return of Slovis should give USC its best chance of pulling an upset this weekend. The line didn't budge once it was announced that Slovis would start, so bettors don't see a big difference in the two quarterbacks.
USC has been awful when catching points on the road in recent years, going just 3-13 ATS in its last 16 games as an away 'dog. Meanwhile, Notre Dame has covered six straight in the series. Look for the Irish to pull away in the second half and win by double digits.
Thomas Casale is theScore's supervising editor of sports betting. He's been following the sports betting industry for almost 30 years. A devoted fan of the wishbone offense, Thomas bets on all sports but specializes in college football, NFL, and college basketball. Find him on Twitter @TheTomCasale.