Every Thursday during the season, Bill Connelly, Doug Kezirian, Preston Johnson and Phil Steele will provide their top plays across the college football landscape.
Here are their best bets for the ninth full week of the college football season:
Season ATS records:
Johnson: 22-17-1 (1-1 last week)
Connelly: 15-9-1 (2-1 last week)
Steele: 16-27 (3-3 last week)
Kezirian: 30-23-1 (4-6 last week)
Note: Picks from Caesars Sportsbook lines as of Wednesday night.
Friday's game
USC Trojans (-13.5, 62.5) at Colorado Buffaloes
Kezirian: Unsurprisingly, the line has moved up from the opening number of 11. These are two teams headed in opposite directions. Colorado has lost three consecutive games, including the past two by a combined score of 86-13. The Trojans enter off a blowout victory over Arizona and should find similar ease scoring on this Colorado defense. The Buffaloes are allowing 8.7 yards per pass attempt, which ranks 116th out of 130 FBS teams.
At times this year Buffs quarterback Steven Montez has shown flashes. He was awful in the past two games, throwing six interceptions, but those came on the road. I expect him to experience more success at home against a USC defense that certainly showed vulnerability the past few weeks. I think Montez can take advantage in places where Khalil Tate could not.
Pick: Over 62.5 and USC team total over 37.5 (FanDuel)