In week eight of the college football season, I went 14-11 against the spread.
The big marquee games appear to be a bit underwhelming this week. It’s not surprising, as teams tend to save their bigger games for November. Teams are just crossing off mandated conference match-ups, which can be dangerous.
Keep an eye out for some upsets. Underdogs can sneak up and pick off some contenders during the doldrums of late-October college football.
Can Indiana continue to stay perfect and beat UCLA in Bloomington?
We at ‘America’s White Boy’ pick 25 college football games against the spread in Week 9 of the 2025-26 NCAA Football season (October 25th, 2025).
UCLA Bruins at Indiana Hoosiers (-25) – My pick is Indiana Hoosiers -25
The UCLA Bruins (3-4, 3-4 ATS) are coming off a 20-17 home win over Maryland, but slightly missed a cover of the -4 betting line.
The Indiana Hoosiers (7-0, 4-3 ATS) are coming off a 38-13 home win against Michigan State, but failed to cover the -26 point spread.
Indiana was so close to covering against Michigan State. The Hoosiers decided to go for it on fourth down late in the game instead of kicking a field goal, which would have most likely earned the cover. The Hoosiers caught what would have been a touchdown pass instead, but the receiver’s heel landed out of bounds. I think they will right last week’s odd loss against the cover, and beat on the Bruins in Bloomington.
Ole Miss Rebels at Oklahoma Sooners (-5.5) – My pick is Ole Miss Rebels +5.5
The Mississippi Rebels (6-1, 4-3 ATS) are coming off a 43-35 road loss to Georgia, which was a slight loss against the +7.5 betting line.
The Oklahoma Sooners (6-1, 4-3 ATS) are coming off a 26-7 road win over South Carolina, which covered the -4.5 spread.
Ole Miss suffered their first outright loss of the season in a tight game. I am still a big believer in QB Trinidad Chambliss, and despite some missed throws, had a solid outing. As for the Sooners, I still think QB John Mateer came back too soon from a hand injury, as he hasn’t played great since he returned for their game against Texas on October 11th. Ole Miss is the stronger overall team, so I have to take the points in this game.
Missouri Tigers at Vanderbilt Commodores (-2.5) – My pick is Vanderbilt Commodores -2.5
The Missouri Tigers (6-1, 4-2-1 ATS) are coming off a 23-17 road win over Auburn, which covered the -1.5 spread.
The Vanderbilt Commodores (6-1, 5-2 ATS) are coming off a 31-24 home win over LSU, which covered the -1.5 spread.
Vanderbilt’s win over LSU was a nice rebound win after falling to Alabama before their bye week. I don’t think Vandy QB Diego Pavia’s Heisman pose was warranted, but the Commodores are playing with confidence. The Tigers have an excellent defense, so it will be a test for Pavia and the Commodores. I think they will inch out a cover at home.
Texas A&M Aggies at LSU Tigers (+2.5) – My pick is Texas A&M Aggies -2.5
The Texas A&M Aggies (7-0, 3-4 ATS) are coming off a 45-42 road win over Arkansas, but failed to cover the -7.5 spread.
The LSU Tigers (5-2, 3-4 ATS) are coming off a31-24 road loss to Vanderbilt, and was a loss against the +1.5 betting line.
LSU is going to struggle to keep up on the scoreboard. The Aggies have a robust offense, with a lot of weapons to do damage on the ground. I think the Aggies will give the Tigers their first loss at home this season, and cover in the Bayou.
Tennessee Volunteers at Kentucky Wildcats (+9) – My pick is Tennessee Volunteers -9
The Tennessee Volunteers (5-2, 2-4-1 ATS) are coming off a 37-20 road loss to Alabama, and was a loss against the +9.5 betting line.
The Kentucky Wildcats (2-4, 2-4 ATS) are coming off a 16-13 home overtime loss to Texas, but was a win against the +12 spread.
Kentucky may have pressed Texas into overtime, but neither team played well. I wish I could credit Kentucky’s defense, but Texas was large ineffective all game. This line should be double-digits, so I think there is still some value in Tennessee with this spread. I’m taking the Vols to cover on the road.
Alabama Crimson Tide at South Carolina Gamecocks (+12) – My pick is Alabama Crimson Tide -12
The Alabama Crimson Tide (6-1, 5-1-1 ATS) are coming off a 37-20 home win over Tennessee, which covered the -9.5 spread.
The South Carolina (3-4, 3-4 ATS) are coming off a 26-7 home loss to Oklahoma, which was a loss against the +4.5 spread.
Alabama is playing like one of the best teams in the league. QB Ty Simpson’s growth this season can be measured in miles. South Carolina is coming off a rather rough outing and they are facing Bama at a bad time. I’m taking Alabama to cover on the road.
SMU Mustangs at Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+3) – My pick is SMU Mustangs -3
The SMU Mustangs (5-2, 2-5 ATS) are coming off a 35-24 road win over Clemson, which was a win against the +3.5 betting line.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-2, 4-2 ATS) are coming off a bye week, and in their previous game, beat Oregon State 39-14.
I had a great feeling about SMU last week, and it paid off. SMU has a well-rounded offense, that can pull off big gains on the ground. They were able to bust a few big runs, and even drain some clock in the fourth quarter. The Mustangs started the year off with a string of losses against the spread, but I think they are facing solid betting lines right now. I’m taking SMU to cover on the road.
Stanford Cardinal at Miami (FL) Hurricanes (-30) – My pick is Stanford Cardinal +30
The Stanford Cardinal (3-4, 2-5 ATS) are coming off a 20-13 home win over Florida State, which was also a win against the +17.5 spread.
The Miami (FL) Hurricanes (5-1, 4-2 ATS) are coming off a 24-21 home loss to Louisville, which wasn’t close to covering the -10.5 spread.
Last week, the Hurricanes didn’t have 2025 Carson Beck under center, they had Late-2024 Georgia Carson Beck. He has an awful game with four interceptions, and his backfield was zero help. I realize the Cardinal aren’t among the elite in the ACC, but a 30-point spread after the Cardinal upset the Seminoles is downright disrespectful. I’m taking the points in this game.
Houston Cougars at Arizona State Sun Devils (-7) – My pick is Arizona State Sun Devils -7
The Houston Cougars (6-1, 5-2 ATS) are coming off a 31-28 home win over Arizona, which was a win against the +2 spread.
The Arizona State (5-2, 4-3 ATS) are coming off a 26-22 home win over Texas Tech, which was a win against the +7.5.
I rarely get to feature either of these teams in the top section of my betting picks. I usually save this section of big, marquee games, and they make the cut this week. Houston has an impressive record, but their strength of schedule is lacking any marquee wins. On the flipside, the Sun Devils have had a tough schedule, and they just beat a very good Texas Tech team. Throw out the records, Arizona State is the better team, and I’m taking them to cover at home.
Ohio Bobcats at Eastern Michigan Eagles (+12) – My pick is Ohio Bobcats -12
This is the section where we pick a smaller conference game.
The Ohio Bobcats (4-3, 4-2-1 ATS) are coming off a 48-21 home win over Northern Illinois, which easily covered the -10.5 spread.
The Eastern Michigan Eagles (2-6, 4-4 ATS) are coming off a 44-30 road loss to Miami (Ohio), which was also a loss against the +11.5 spread.
I’ve been consistently rolling with the Bobcats against MAC competition this season. Their only losses against the spread were an odd road loss to Ball State and failing to cover a large spread against an FCS team. Ohio QB Parker Navarro is arguably the best quarterback in the conference, and the Bobcats have an excellent ground game to support him. I’m taking Ohio to go into Ypsilanti and cover.
QUICK HITS
Rutgers at Purdue (+2.5) – My pick is Rutgers -2.5
South Florida at Memphis (+5) – My pick is Memphis +5
Syracuse at Georgia Tech (-17.5) – My pick is Syracuse +17.5
UConn at Rice (+10.5) – My pick is Rice +10.5
San Diego State at Fresno State (+3) – My pick is SDSU -3
Illinois at Washington (-4) – My pick is Illinois +4
Florida Atlantic at Navy (-15.5) – My pick is FAU +15.5
Louisiana at Troy (-9.5) – My pick is Troy -9.5
Colorado State at Wyoming (-4.5) – My pick is Wyoming -4.5
Colorado at Utah (-13.5) – My pick is Utah -13.5
BONUS PICKS!
Ball State at Northern Illinois (-5.5) – My pick is NIU -5.5
North Texas at Charlotte (+26) – My pick is North Texas -26
Bowling Green at Kent State (+7) – My pick is BGSU -7
Appalachian State at Old Dominion (-14) – My pick is App State +14
Louisiana Monroe at Southern Miss (-12) – My pick is Southern Miss -12
Sweetbob’s college football picks against the spread record in previous seasons:
2013: 134-79-8
2014: 148-118-4
2015: 149-118-3
2016: 196-145-6
2017: 183-159-13
2018: 177-157-6
2019: 187-141-8
2020: 170-160-5
2021: 167-151-8
2022: 185-150-5
2023: 155-144-10
2024: 183-164-11
2025: 104-93-3
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on X at @Sweetbob