As a general rule, Fridays don't usually give us many marquee matchups in college football. However, this Friday is one of those rare exceptions, as we get a nice game each from the Big 12 and Big 10.
Here are 2 college football best bets for Friday, October 6. Let's make some hay heading into Saturday! Good luck!
Best Bet: Kansas State -11.5 over Oklahoma State
Kansas State has started out 3-1 on the season with their one loss coming on the road to Missouri 30-27. The offense has been humming with a 39.5ppg average which ranks them 17th in the nation. The defense is allowing just 18.5ppg which is 51st in the nation.
Most impressively, has been their ability to keep drives alive on 3rd down with a 54.4% conversion rate which is 11th in the nation. DJ Giddens is averaging over 100 per game on the ground after going for 207 against UCF last week. Will Howard has been just as impressive through the air. He is averaging over 260 yards and has thrown 8 touchdowns and added 5 more on the ground.
The Cowboys won their 1st two games of the season and have subsequently lost their next 2. Three different QBs have seen time under center for Mike Gundy and none have been impressive. They are nearly 200th in the nation in scoring (22ppg) and at 100th in points allowed (23.75). With Kansas, West Virginia, and Oklahoma on the horizon; things will not get any easier for the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State allowed over 240 yards on the ground to South Alabama who are only averaging 148 per game. With KSU averaging close to 200 per game, the Cowboys are going to struggle to get their defense off the field. KSU is coming off a bye week and should be well rested and well prepared for this matchup. The 11 points should not be too difficult for the Wildcats to cover here.
Key Betting Trends for Kansas State at Oklahoma State
- KSU is 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games.
- KSU is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against an opponent in the Big 12.
- OKST is 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games.
- OKST is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 games against KSU.
Best Bet: Nebraska +3.5 over Illinois
The Cornhuskers are 3-2 on the year and have yet to rise to the occasion against any of their Power 5 teams. Minnesota, Colorado, and Michigan all account for Nebraska’s losses. The offense has struggled to put up points, averaging only 18.8ppg. While the run game has been great with 210 yards per game, the passing game has been terrible. Heinrich Haarberg leads the team in rushing but has not averaged over 100 yards per game passing.
Like Nebraska, Illinois has yet to defeat a Power 5 team. Losses to Kansas, PSU, and Purdue account for their losses. They snuck by Toledo in their opener by 2 and Florida Atlantic by 6 at home.
Luke Altmyer is completing 65% of his passes for 215 yards per game but has been having issues with the turnovers. While he has tossed 5 touchdowns, he has also thrown 7 interceptions. He is also 2nd in rushing and has added 3 scores on the ground. Defensively, they are allowing over 30ppg which is nearly 200th in the country.
With both teams having serious struggles this season and not showing any real signs of progress, we feel comfortable taking the team getting the points here. Illinois really should not be favored against anyone right now, despite being at home. The under could be worth a play here as well but we feel more comfortable taking the live road dog here.
Key Betting Trends for Nebraska at Illinois
- Nebraska is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games against an opponent in the West Division
- Nebraska is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games played on a Friday when playing on the road.
- Illinois is 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games at home.
- Illinois is 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games.
