College Football Against the Spread Picks for Week 9: Which Top-10 Team is Vulnerable on the Road?

Top college football against the spread picks for Week 9.

Mike Spector

Last updated: October 24, 2022 2:49 PM EDT • 3 min read

Ole Miss, Syracuse, and UCLA fell from the ranks of the unbeaten in Week 8 as the College Football Playoff picture continues to take shape. Read on for our best ATS bets for Week 9.

Week 8 was another profitable one for the underdogs, who went 26-21 against the spread. Underdogs are now 122-86-3, covering 59% of the time in October. Will the 'dogs be barking again this week?

Let's dive in with our top ATS bets for Week 9 in college football (odds via BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and FanDuel Sportsbook; Pick confidence is based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Top ATS Bets for Week 9

Ohio State -14.5 (-115) ★★★★

The Iowa Hawkeyes, Ohio State's Week 8 opponent, field one of the worst offenses in the country, and the team has been involved in two of the lowest-projected FBS game totals in 2022. However, the Buckeyes' defense still turned in an impressive performance, holding the Hawkeyes to 158 yards while forcing six turnovers.

The Buckeyes have only left Columbus once this campaign, when they beat Michigan State 49-20 on the road as 27-point favorites. However, this game being played at noon makes a significant difference, as the atmosphere for a night contest would be much more raucous.

Additionally, the Nittany Lions allowed 563 total yards (418 on the ground) against Michigan when they had given up 80 rushing yards per game prior to that. Penn State's best offensive weapon is running back Nicholas Singleton, and he'll be ineffective if Ohio State jumps out to an early lead. That's what happened in the Michigan game when he was limited to 19 yards on six carries.

The Buckeyes are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games, with the road team covering during four of the previous five meetings. Expect both of those trends to continue this week.

West Virginia +7.5 (-110) ★★★★

TCU has played with fire over the last two weeks, and it's fortunate to be 7-0 for the first time since 2017. The Horned Frogs have overcome 11-point halftime deficits against top-20 opponents in consecutive weeks. But they likely wouldn't have remained unbeaten without a significant injury during their last game.

Kansas State quarterback Adrian Martinez left in the first quarter of Week 8 with an injury, and backup quarterback Will Howard also missed some time after getting nicked up. That allowed the Horned Frogs to recover from a 28-10 second-quarter deficit. However, while quarterback Max Duggan improved his touchdown-to-interception ratio to 19-1, he was also held below his previous Big 12-best average completion percentage of 70% (17-of-26, 65%).

The grind of playing back-to-back ranked teams at home will take its toll on the Horned Frogs. Expect the Mountaineers to improve upon their impressive 11-3-1 ATS record over the team's last 15 home games.

UConn +9.5 (-110) ★★★★

The Jim Mora effect is in full force in Storrs, as the first-year head coach has already done an outstanding job while changing the football culture at UConn. The Huskies are already off to their first three-win season since 2017 after earning back-to-back victories over FBS opponents. That comes after not beating an FBS team since 2019. The winning streak was also the program's first since 2017, and the road win over FIU was the school's first since 2019.

UConn would have entered on a three-game winning streak this week if not for blowing a 21-10 halftime lead over Ball State. The Huskies were preparing for this game during a bye week and will look to best a 2-5 Boston College team that ranks 107th in Offensive SP+.

The Eagles are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games, and we'll gladly take the points in a contest the underdog could win outright.

Where to Bet on College Football ATS Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

College football top ATS bets from 10/24/2022 at 6:15 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Mike Spector

Mike started in the sports writing industry in July 2019, and gained a lot of followers in his first year after finishing with the No. 2 overall record in an annual NFL betting competition, which made picks against the spread, and from an Over/Under and moneyline perspective. Mike is an avid fan of the NFL, MLB, tennis, and all college sports. In his opinion, March Madness is the best sporting event there is, and he's especially euphoric starting with conference tournament time in college basketball. Mike's a big advocate of "fading the public" and making plays that are contrarian, constantly citing that "there are reasons why they have those big shiny buildings in Las Vegas." When making wagers, Mike always scours the best odds at all of the major sports betting sites, where he mostly sifts through DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, and bet365. He's tried several others and is of the firm belief that bettors should not just stick to one sportsbook, as there is always likely better value to be had with the same wager. In addition, while Mike received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University, he has no issue betting against the Wildcats when it comes to college basketball wagering, and suggests other bettors should always put their “head” before their “hearts.”