A very entertaining NCAAF season continues into week 9 this week with plenty of spots open for teams looking to compete at the top end of the division.
There are some big games taking place this week across the country but we've picked out three of the best betting opportunities for you in the games including the Miami Ohio Redhawks facing off with the Akron Zips, the Arkansas Razorbacks clash with the Auburn Tigers and the big game between Ohio State Buckeyes and Penn State Nittany Lions.
We'll break down each game and provide you with our best free NCAAF picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash.
Learn more about how to bet on NCAAF here.
Miami Ohio Redhawks vs Akron Zips - 10/29/22, 12:00 (noon) ET
Both of these teams have had pretty poor showings so far, and yet there is still plenty of promise from both sides to improve as the season progresses.
The Redhawks are 3-5 so far from eight games this season. They lost their opening game of the season to Kentucky in a heavy 37-13 loss, before claiming a big win over Robert Morris 31-14 in game 2. Then they got thumped by Cincinnati before a narrow win over Northwestern, and then a narrow loss to Buffalo before a quick win over Kent State.
They have lost their last two games however, dropping results against Bowling Green and Western Michigan despite some decent performances.
Akron on the other hand have had a shocker, going 1-7 so far this season. Their only win so far came in overtime in game 1, when they beat St Francis PA 30-23. Since then though it's seven defeats in a row, including a 52-0 drumming against Michigan State, a 63-6 thrashing by Tennesse and a 55-34 loss to Ohio State.
Back Akron against the spread
Recently, Akron have played well against slightly stronger conference opponents and they are 4-4 against the spread so far this season.
Last week, they lost Kent State by only six points and were just lacking that quality to get them over the line. Similarly, they lost to Central Michigan by only seven points, and Bowling Green by only three points. In all three games, they were large underdogs.
Miami has their starting quarterback Brett Gabbert back, but they are a low-scoring decent defensive team. Akron could win if they can prevent the Redhawks from building a large lead and I would take their spread.
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Arkansas Razorbacks vs Auburn Tigers - 10/29/22, 12:00 (noon) ET
The Razorbacks have got a winning record this season, recovering from heavy defeats against Alabama and Mississippi State to beat BYU 52-35 last time out for a comfortable win.
Auburn on the other hand started the season 3-1 after wins over Mercer, San Jose State and Missouri. But they have now lost their last three after falling 21-17 to LSU, before a 42-10 spanking by Georgia State and a 48-34 loss to Mississippi in a hugely entertaining game last time out.
Arkansas to cover the spread
Arkansas is a weird team this season. They beat Cincinnati but lost to Texas A&M in a game they should have won, were blown out by Alabama in a game where they were competitive most of the time, and then lost to a weaker Mississippi State team.
The Razorbacks have a great quarterback/running back partnership with KJ Jefferson and Raheim Sanders, and that is a big reason as to why we are keen on them here.
Jefferson has a strong arm and is a threat on the ground, while Sanders is a lock to run for at least 100 yards and average around five yards a carry. The two of them together make defenses tired, and that is why the Hogs should win by at least a touchdown.
Auburn has had trouble against teams like Arkansas. In their last game against Ole Miss, the Tigers allowed three players to run for over 100 yards, including the Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart. Altogether, Auburn allowed 448 rushing yards in that game. Against Georgia, Auburn allowed 292 rushing yards off only 39 carries.
That spells trouble, so expect Arkansas to cover this comfortably.
Ohio State Buckeyes vs Penn State Nittany Lions - 10/29/22, 12:00 (noon) ET
Both of these teams are flying this season, but this is a very one-sided game on paper and on the field.
Ohio are 7-0 this season with an aggregate score of 347-104, showing why they're the favorites for the national championship this year, with a season-best performance coming when they beat Toldeo 77-21.
Penn State are 6-1 this season, with their sole defeat coming to Michigan State 41-17 in game 7. In their six wins this season, their combined aggregate score stands at 217-91 to show the level they are at is high.
Ohio to crush Penn
Ohio State is a National Championship favorite for a good reason because they are the best team in the Big Ten, which is one of the best college football conferences. Even as two-plus touchdown favorites on the road against Penn State, they should absolutely waltz through the opposition here.
Last week, against an Iowa defense that is one of the best in the country, C.J. Stroud and Ohio State scored 54 points. In six of their seven games this season, OSU has scored at least 45 points. This includes a 49-20 win against Michigan State, and a 52-21 win against Wisconsin.
Penn State are not a bad side by any means, but the Buckeyes are simply on a different level. It’s a lot of points, but Ohio State should win by at least three touchdowns this weekend.
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