College Football Week 10: Miami at Notre Dame, Alabama at LSU and What to Watch Saturday

Saturday’s college football slate is the kind of day that justifies clearing the couch, stocking the snacks and silencing the group chat. Seven ranked-versus-ranked matchups are on the board, two of them top-10 showdowns, and nearly every big game comes with a playoff-sized question attached. Here is a viewing guide for the games worth building your day around, with the lines to know and what to watch for in each.

No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame: The Nightcap Everyone Is Talking About

The 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on NBC is the headline act. Miami sits at No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in program history, yet the Hurricanes walk into South Bend as underdogs, with Notre Dame laying roughly 5.5 points and a total near 57.5 at most books. The Irish are 7-1, perfect at home, and still smarting from an earlier loss to BYU. They also know the feeling of being the first team left out of the playoff field last season, so this one has elimination-game energy for them.

The big plot twist is on Miami’s side. Wide receiver Malachi Toney, a Heisman contender and one of the leading pass catchers in the country, is out with an ankle injury, which puts more of the load on quarterback C.J. Carr and running back Mark Fletcher Jr. Miami squeaked past North Carolina 38-35 last week and has allowed 30-plus points in two of its last three games, which is not ideal when the opposing offense has receivers like Jaden Greathouse and Jordan Faison. If you only watch one game, make it this one, and keep the remote handy for a shootout. Anyone new to reading these numbers can brush up with a quick look at how betting odds work before kickoff.

No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU: Saban Bowl Meets the Kiffin Era

The 3:30 p.m. ET window on ABC brings two-loss SEC heavyweights to Tiger Stadium. LSU is favored by about 5.5 with a total of 52.5, which makes first-year head coach Lane Kiffin a home favorite in his first crack at the Tide. Alabama leads the all-time series 58-27-5 and has won the last three meetings, so there is a revenge storyline built right in.

Both teams are in must-win mode for their playoff hopes, and Death Valley on a Saturday afternoon is about as good as college football atmospheres get. The spread has moved around a little this week, so it is worth checking a few apps before you lock anything in. Shopping around is a habit worth building, and our guide to odds shopping explains why half a point can matter.

No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU: The Holy War Gets Real

Noon ET on ABC is an early start with a late-night feel. Unbeaten Utah, one of the last three undefeated teams in the country, is a home favorite of around 5.5 with a total near 47.5. BYU is 7-1 with its only loss coming at UCF, and the Cougars have won three straight in this rivalry even though Utah still leads the all-time series 62-37-4.

This is only the fifth time both programs have been ranked when they met, and the first time both are top 10 in the AP poll, so the stakes have rarely been higher. Expect a physical, emotional game, and expect the underdog to hang around. It is a perfect appetizer before the afternoon SEC slate takes over.

No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee: Neyland Gets Loud

Kentucky arrives with the highest ranking in program history, and now it has to prove it on the road. The 6:15 p.m. ET game on ESPN at Neyland Stadium has Tennessee favored by 6.5 with a total of 50.5. For Kentucky it is a chance to turn a historic ranking into a historic season, and for the Vols it is a chance to remind everyone why Neyland is one of the toughest places to play.

Keep this game on a second screen while Notre Dame and Georgia take center stage later, because it sits right in the gap before the primetime kickoffs. For anyone planning to follow the bigger picture of the season, the NCAAF champion odds will give you a sense of how much each result moves the needle.

More Games Worth a Second Screen

If you want to fill out the schedule, here is what else is happening on a packed Saturday. Each of these carries its own storyline for the playoff picture and conference races.

• No. 2 Georgia at No. 10 Ole Miss (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC): Georgia is a 3.5-point favorite, with its lone loss coming at home to Auburn, while the two-loss Rebels are fighting for relevance at Vaught-Hemingway.
• No. 7 Texas at No. 18 Missouri (noon ET, ESPN): Texas is a short road favorite, and both teams enter with two losses.
• No. 23 Oregon at No. 12 Ohio State (3:30 p.m. ET, CBS): the Buckeyes are looking to recover after their loss at USC last week.
• No. 8 UCLA at Minnesota (noon ET, Fox): the unbeaten Bruins are road favorites against a Gophers team coming off an overtime heartbreaker.

This Week’s Best Bets

These are the leans for the marquee games on the slate, based on current lines, team form and the injury news. As always, lines move, so double-check the numbers before placing anything.

• Miami at Notre Dame: Miami to cover as a road underdog. Losing Toney hurts, but a historic underdog price on the No. 1 team in the country is tempting, and Notre Dame’s win projects as close.
• Alabama at LSU: LSU on the moneyline. Home field, Kiffin’s first Saban Bowl and a desperate Tigers team make Baton Rouge a tough place to bet against them.
• BYU at Utah: BYU to cover. Three straight wins in the series and a 7-1 record say this is closer than 5.5 points.
• Kentucky at Tennessee: Tennessee to cover at home, where Neyland Stadium should give the Vols the edge.

Whatever you decide, enjoy the day. Between rivalries, playoff stakes and a Heisman race that is wide open, it is the best slate of the season so far. Check our college football betting guide if you want a refresher on how to approach a day this big.