Iowa (-10 ½) at Northwestern – The Hawkeyes opened as 10 ½ point road favorites against Northwestern, but books have moved that up to 12 points. Iowa is coming off a lucky win at Indiana. Northwestern started fast at Penn State, but then failed to even cover the spread in Happy Valley. Believe it or not, Northwestern has beaten Iowa the past two seasons in Kinnick Stadium. The Wildcats are a lively underdog. Don’t be surprised to see some buy back on Northwestern.
Florida (-4 ½) vs. South Carolina – The SEC East title is up for grabs in the Swamp. Florida started as a 4 ½ point favorite, but most books have moved up to 7 points. Florida had its way with Vandy last week, which came as no surprise. The Gamecocks were thrashed by Arkansas at home, which was surprising. Both teams have 3 losses in conference, and somehow the winner will play for the SEC championship. Welcome home, Steve Spurrier.
Alabama (-13) vs. Mississippi State – The Tide opened as 13 point favorites, though the line has moved up slightly to 14 at most sites. Alabama seems a bit off this year. They lost to an underrated LSU team in Death Valley, but have played poorly on the road. They get an upstart Bulldogs team in Tuscaloosa this Saturday. If Mississippi State could’ve found a way to beat Auburn early in the season, the Bulldogs would be the team to beat in the West. The Bulldogs are coming off their bye.
Auburn (-9 ½) vs. Georgia – The Tigers started as 9 ½ point home favorites against Georgia, but books have pulled that back to 8 ½. Auburn has played in a lot of close games this season, so maybe sharps expect this to be a good game. Last week wasn’t close, however, as Auburn predictably pounded UT-Chattanooga. Georgia beat up their FCS opponent, too. The Bulldogs are playing much better with A.J. Green in the lineup. A playmaker like Green can make a big difference against a top tier team. The Georgia defense needs to play big in this one.
Oregon (-20 ½) at California – The Ducks fly south to California to take on the Golden Bears. Oregon opened as a 20 ½ point road favorite, but that’s come down to 19 ½ or 20 points, depending upon the site. The Ducks had some early trouble with Washington, but once that offense gets going, look out. Cal just about lost to Washington State, but managed to get the W. The Golden Bears are always a tough draw at home. Shane Vereen is an underrated running back.
Arizona (-5 ½) vs. USC – The Wildcats started as 5 ½ point home favorites against USC. The line has held at most sites, though a few have come down to 5 points. Arizona had a tough time against Stanford, even with Nick Foles. They’ll look to bounce back against a hard-to-read USC team. The Trojans managed to get by Arizona State by a single point, but as a whole, this has been a disappointing season for USC. A win in the Desert would be a great answer for critics.