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College Football Top Matchups, Info, Odds: Pair of Top 10 Matchups Headline Stacked Week 7 Card

Henry John

Last Updated: January 1, 0001 12:00 AM EST • 4 min 15 sec read.

Head coach Jim Harbaugh talks to J.J. McCarthy in the first half while playing the Hawaii Warriors at Michigan Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Head coach Jim Harbaugh talks to J.J. McCarthy in the first half while playing the Hawaii Warriors at Michigan Stadium on September 10, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images via AFP.

Breaking down the opening odds and early betting action for some of the biggest matchups on the Week 7 college football schedule.

We are officially halfway through the 2022 college football regular season. Time sure does fly when you’re having fun! There were plenty more thrills this past weekend that led to some surprising adjustments within the rankings. 

The stage is now set for a massive Week 7 slate. This might very well classify as the best college football weekend of the season so far as there are a whopping six matchups between AP Top 25 teams scheduled for Saturday. As if that wasn’t enough, two of those games are between teams ranked in the Top 10! 

What’s more, the marquee college football games to watch this week are spread out across the country. From Syracuse, New York, to Knoxville, Tennessee, and even Salt Lake City, Utah, there will be must-see action in each of the Power 5 conferences this Saturday. 

Here are previews and analyses for our top seven games to watch in Week 7 of the 2022 college football season (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

Top College Football Games to Watch in Week 7

(10) Penn State vs. (5) Michigan

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, noon ET
TV: FOX
Location: Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI
Odds: MICH -7 | O/U 51.5

Does anyone truly know how good Michigan is this year? The Wolverines played a pathetic nonconference schedule and have yet to impress in their first three Big Ten Conference games. A home game against Penn State in Week 7 is by far Michigan’s toughest test to date.

Oddsmakers opened the Wolverines as touchdown favorites in this game. The market has not moved with regard to the point spread or the total thus far. While Michigan will enjoy home-field advantage, Penn State is coming off a bye and, thus, has had two weeks to prepare for this showdown. One has to believe that the line will dip below seven prior to kickoff.

(3) Alabama vs. (6) Tennessee

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Odds: ALA -7.5 | O/U 65.5

Week 7 will see ESPN College Gameday return to Knoxville for the second time this season. This time, the matchup couldn’t be much bigger. Despite being in opposite divisions within the SEC, Alabama and Tennessee play each other annually. A win in this year’s meeting figures to go a long way in deciding which team will ultimately reach the conference title game.

After a mistake-filled win over Texas A&M last week, the Crimson Tide opened as 8-point road favorites in this spot. It must be noted that the Volunteers have been heavily-backed in the early going. More often than not, fading a public underdog is a sound betting strategy.

(8) Oklahoma State vs. (13) TCU

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Location: Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, TX
Odds: TCU -3.5 | O/U 68

At the midway point of the season, the Big 12 Conference remains entirely up for grabs. Oklahoma State and TCU have been two of the more impressive teams to date. However, only one can emerge from Saturday’s battle with an unbeaten record intact.

Early sharp action appears to be on the Horned Frogs as short favorites. TCU opened as a 2-point home favorite, but the line has already climbed north of a field goal across the market. This move has transpired despite a slight majority of ATS bets siding with the higher-ranked Cowboys. It will be interesting to see how the market trends with such a high point total.

(15) NC State vs. (18) Syracuse

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ACC Network
Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY
Odds: SYR -3 | O/U 44

The comeback that NC State pulled off last week against Florida State was nothing short of miraculous considering senior quarterback Devin Leary got knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. X-rays were negative, but Leary’s status remains in doubt ahead of Saturday’s road game against undefeated Syracuse.

Many bettors were likely surprised by the fact that the Orange opened as 4-point home favorites. Case in point, roughly 70% of all bets thus far have taken the points with the Wolfpack. Syracuse will enjoy both home field and an extra week of prep for this game.

(4) Clemson vs. Florida State

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: ABC
Location: Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, FL
Odds: CLEM -4.5 | O/U 51

The ACC Atlantic Division isn’t far behind the SEC West this year when it comes to depth. In addition to the game above, the primetime showdown between Clemson and Florida State is also on our Week 7 radar for college football games to watch.

Despite the fact that the Seminoles have now come up short against two teams that Clemson has already beaten this year, early line movement has favored FSU. After opening as 7.5-point road favorites, the Tigers are now laying only 4.5 points. Can Florida State bounce back from last weekend’s heartbreaking loss in Raleigh?

(16) Mississippi State vs. (22) Kentucky

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
Location: Kroger Field, Lexington, KY
Odds: MSU -7 | O/U 47.5

The first time that Mississippi State went on the road against SEC competition, things didn’t end so well. The Bulldogs will look to flip the script on Saturday night when they travel to Lexington to face a reeling Kentucky team.

The fact that the Bullies have gone from laying a field goal to now laying a full touchdown reflects the amount of respect that the betting market has for Mike Leach’s team. For Kentucky, the health of quarterback Will Levis is of the utmost concern. The Wildcats have now lost two straight games, and an underrated Mississippi State team isn’t exactly the ideal “get-right” opponent.

(7) USC vs. (20) Utah

Date: Saturday, Oct. 15, 8 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
Odds: UTA -4 | O/U 60.5

Once upon a time, there was optimism that perfect records would be on the line in this Week 7 showdown between two of the top teams in the Pac-12 Conference. While USC held up its end of the bargain, Utah has not. 

The Utes come in off their second loss of the season last week. Despite this, bookmakers were still willing to open the spread for Saturday’s contest in favor of Utah and the market has driven the number up. USC will no doubt be a publicly-backed underdog this week. With a win, the Trojans should be 10-0 going into the November 19 rivalry game at UCLA.

Where To Bet on College Football

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

Written By:
Henry John
Henry’s passion for sports dates all the way back to childhood and has ultimately led to a full-fledged career as an analyst and content creator. After getting his start penning fantasy football articles, he forrayed into the betting side of the business in early 2019. His love for sports and statistics proved to be an ideal match with the dedicated research and strategy that handicapping requires. Henry currently specializes in betting analysis and picks for college football, college basketball, and NASCAR. He counts NFL, WNBA, and NBA player props as additional leagues/markets of interest. Henry graduated from SUNY Buffalo in 2021 with a Communication Studies degree and a Psychology minor. A native of the Finger Lakes region in Upstate New York, he and his pup, Harold, have since relocated to Laramie, Wyoming. Thanks to his professional goals within the sports betting industry, there has been a whole lot of steam on the odds for a move to Las Vegas in 2023! Most of Henry’s free time is spent on outdoor adventures, playing chess, snowboarding, or reading a good book. He is also a competitive powerlifter and aspires to qualify for the USAPL Nationals meet within the next 2-3 years.