College Football Odds, Picks & Predictions: Week 5 (Friday)

A couple of exciting college football matchups are on the horizon tonight.

The ACC will feature a thrilling matchup between Pittsburgh and Virginia Tech. Both teams are undefeated coming into this game. Also tonight, Northwestern will break in the new $875 million stadium, Ryan Field, for the first time in a home game against Penn State.

I’ve got best bets for each game below.

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Best College Football Bets for Friday: Week 5

(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Virginia Tech Hokies

The Virginia Tech Hokies have turned things around with the hiring of James Franklin. He’s got the Hokies at 4-0 and is believing in an ACC Championship.

They’ll be home tonight, but it won’t be easy against Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is also 4-0 and ranks 16th in passing PPSA behind Mason Heintschel. On the other hand, Virginia Tech ranks 73rd defensively. Pittsburgh should pass the ball well tonight. However, running the ball won’t be as easy. Look for early passes out of Pittsburgh.

On the flip side, Pittsburgh currently ranks in the top ten in overall defense with a rating of 64.6. Even at home, Virginia Tech might see some drives stall. The only thing hurting Pittsburgh’s defense right now is allowing explosive plays. However, Virginia Tech hasn’t allowed many of those so that I wouldn’t worry too much.

I’ll take Pittsburgh at +2.5 (-115).

Pick: Pick: Pittsburgh +2.5 (-115)

Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Northwestern Wildcats

Northwestern’s got all the hype. After giving Indiana a run for its money last week, they’re opening up their new stadium this weekend.

Meanwhile, Penn State took a deflating home loss to Wisconsin last weekend. A loss here would make everyone in Nittany Lion country upset about James Franklin’s firing. He never really lost these games with Penn State until last season.

That said, Penn State has struggled to sustain drives, but Northwestern will likely allow Penn State to improve. They’ve allowed many sustained drives defensively this season.

The Nittany Lions’ offense and the Wildcats’ defense match up well against each other in both the passing and running games.

Additionally, Penn State ranks 10th in the nation in successful plays, giving up a successful play just 31.5% of the time. Ultimately, the Nittany Lions rank 5th in pass rating and third in passing PPA. The Wildcats likely won’t see much success offensively, either, especially if tight end Luke Dehnicke is out. Dehnicke balled out against Indiana, catching seven for 140 yards.

Speaking of injuries, Penn State’s WR Koby Howard will remain out with an injury.

Let’s back the Under 45.5 (-105).

Pick: Under 45.5 (-105)