The Week 10 college football schedule features several matchups that will directly influence the College Football Playoff rankings after the initial rankings were released earlier this week. Top-ranked Miami faces a significant test at No. 11 Notre Dame, with the Irish listed as 7-point favorites as star Miami receiver Malachi Toney is sidelined with an ankle injury. Two games pit top-10 CFP teams against each other: No. 10 Ole Miss vs. No. 2 Georgia (Georgia favored by 3.5) and No. 3 Utah vs. No. 9 BYU (Utah favored by 4.5). Other games with playoff implications include No. 5 Alabama at No. 14 LSU (LSU favored by 6), No. 6 Kentucky at No. 13 Tennessee (Tennessee favored by 6), No. 7 Texas at No. 18 Missouri (Texas favored by 2.5), and No. 23 Oregon at No. 12 Ohio State (Ohio State favored by 7.5).
Expert Analysis from Thomas Casale
Veteran handicapper Thomas Casale, a frequent guest on national radio and TV shows with over 30 years of sports betting experience, has posted a 14-8 record over the last seven weeks. He swept all three best bets in his column in both Week 4 and Week 5. For Week 10, Casale's top pick is Ohio State (-7.5) to cover against Oregon in a 3:30 p.m. ET Big Ten matchup on Saturday.
Casale notes that Ohio State fell at USC last week and now faces added pressure to avoid a third loss that would jeopardize their playoff hopes. Oregon, meanwhile, picked up a win over a ranked Northwestern squad last week, but its 5-3 record falls short of preseason expectations. "Last week we went against Ohio State with true freshman Luke Fahey making his first career start on the road at USC," Casale said. "Fahey struggled at times, completing 21 of 38 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown. It was just a bad spot for the Buckeyes, and USC won outright as a 6.5-point underdog."
Casale expects Ohio State's defense to look much different after giving up 30 points to USC. He also points out that Oregon backup quarterback Dylan Raiola is coming off his best game of the season but can crumble under pressure, as seen against UCLA. Additionally, Casale anticipates receiver Jeremiah Smith to be more involved now that Fahey has his first start under his belt.
Additional Best Bets
Casale has identified two other college football picks he favors, including backing a favorite to roll against a team that "might be about done this season." His full set of Week 10 best bets is available through his regular outlet.
