NCAA Football Week 9 Picks: No. 8 Michigan State Will Upset No. 6 Michigan

Eric Uribe
By , Updated on: Oct 27, 2021 12:00 AM
NCAA Football Week 9 Picks: No. 8 Michigan State Will Upset No. 6 Michigan

Plenty of intriguing college football betting odds are at your disposal as the regular season enters Week 9. From no-brainer locks to a major showdown between two top-10 teams, the opportunities are seemingly endless, and the stakes continue to increase as schools try to angle for a spot in the NCAA football playoffs.

To be honest, the upcoming betting slate isn't conducive to a ton of reasonable bold predictions. But our NCAA football Week 9 picks do include one: No. 8 Michigan State Will Upset No. 6 Michigan. We're not joking, either.

Before digging deep into that marquee matchup, let's first take a look at latest NCAAF betting odds for every top-15-ranked school in action this week, courtesy of BetOnline:

FavoriteBetOnlineBetOnlineUnderdog
Georgia-575+455Florida
Cincinnati-1600+925Tulane
Oklahoma-1200+750Texas Tech
Ohio State-1100+700Penn State
Michigan-190+170Michigan State
Oregon-1550+900Colorado
Wisconsin-160+140Iowa
Notre Dame-165+145North Carolina
Kentucky-120+100Mississippi State
Wake Forest-750+550Duke
Oklahoma State-1950+1100Kansas

Like always, you'll want to double-check these college football odds before committing to any NCAAF picks. All NCAAF odds are subject to move at BetOnline and other top online sportsbooks ahead of opening kickoff.

Week 9 College Football Predictions

Last week, we didn't deliver our college football picks late enough to capitalize on moneylines. Week 9 is a different story. We've plucked out our five best NCAAF bets, including the Michigan vs. Michigan State odds and jam-packed them into this monster preview for your convenience.

Without further delay, let's get to some college football betting picks!

Michigan is on Upset Alert vs. Michigan State

Both Michigan and Michigan State enter Week 9 with perfect 7-0 records, but oddsmakers have billed the former as decided favorites. They have a top-two defense and have played out the far tougher schedule to date.

At the same time, we can't help but feel like Jim Harbaugh's crew is being slightly overestimated. Their offense has been touch-and-go, especially through the air.

Let's also not forget that Michigan State is the only one of these two teams that has beaten another top-25 school this season. It was only Miami (Florida), and it was extremely early, but that performance still matters.

More than anything, we believe Michigan State's passing attack has breakthrough potential. Their 61.7 completion percentage isn't breaking any records, but they are racking up more than 250 yards and two touchdowns per game through the air. The way they play is built to beat even Michigan's secondary.

We're calling for the upset.

OSB Prediction: Michigan State (+170)

Michigan State To beat Michigan
BetOnline
+170

Georgia to Cruise vs. Florida

Best of luck to Florida. They're about to get lampooned.

Georgia may be the best football team in the nation. They are averaging over 38 points per game while allowing 6.6. That last number is not a typo, and it is by far the best in the country.

Expect Georgia to reach 8-0 while winning by at least three touchdowns.

OSB Prediction: Georgia (-575)

Georgia To beat Florida
BetOnline
-575

Penn State is Undervalued Against Ohio State

Okay, we're stepping out on the flimsiest of limbs here.

Penn State's season has officially gone off the rails. It started with the injury to Sean Clifford and continued last week with their terrible loss to a lackluster Illinois squad. On paper, Ohio State is primed to nuke them.

And yet, we genuinely believe Penn State is on the undervalued side. They have shown in matchups versus Auburn and Wisconsin that they can stop the run. In addition to those two victories over top-25 schools, they nearly knocked off third-ranked Iowa. 

When it's on, Penn State's defense is legit. We think they have to juice left in them to grind Ohio State's top-ranked offense down to a slow burn.

OSB Prediction: Penn State (+700)

Penn State To beat Ohio State
BetOnline
+700

Oklahoma will Steamroll Texas Tech

Not even underdog enthusiasts can feel particularly good about the chances of Texas Tech. They are allowing over 30 points per game on the season and going up against an elite opponent in Oklahoma currently averaging over 40 points per contest.

Don't be surprised if Oklahoma comes out of this one with a four-touchdown victory after clearing the 45- or 50-point benchmark.

OSB Prediction: Oklahoma (-1200)

Oklahoma To beat Texas Tech
BetOnline
-1200

Wisconsin to Knock Out Iowa

Defensive specialist meets defensive specialist in this matchup between Wisconsin and Iowa. Both pair top-20 defenses with offenses that rank outside the top 70.

To Wisconsin's credit, they have played out the toughest schedule in college football. It isn't easy squaring off with Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State in the same season.

That strength of schedule helps explain their shaky offense performance. They should have no trouble totaling more than 21 points per game against an Iowa defense that, while very good, has shown a handful of cracks when trying to limit the passing game of their opponents. 

Make no mistake, this isn't our most confident pick, but we believe in it nonetheless.

OSB Prediction: Wisconsin (-160)

Wisconsin To beat Iowa
BetOnline
-160

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Meet the author

Eric Uribe

Born and raised in Nevada, Eric was exposed to the world of sports betting at an early age. He yearned to be 21 just to hit the sportsbook, and when that day finally came, he became a regular at the smoke-filled room, sweating out bets with sketchy characters. Eric'...

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