College Football Picks & Predictions: Week 7 (Friday)
Three matchups are on the college football slate tonight. The main one is the Washington-Purdue Big Ten matchup on FOX, but a couple of exciting Group of Six matchups are coming up. I’ll add my college football picks for two of the three games below. Let’s get to it.
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Friday’s Best College Football Picks & Predictions (Week 7)
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
Memphis at Tulane
The Memphis Tigers are on a three-game winning streak entering tonight’s contest. They sit at 5-1 and are a contender for the Group of Six spot in the College Football Playoff (CFP). That said, despite being favorites, Memphis should be tested on the road against a usually dominant Tulane squad.
I say usually because Tulane is currently just 2-3 this season and most recently lost 20-17 to Army on the road last week.
It’s hard to imagine Tulane keeping up with Memphis.
The Tigers are averaging 38.5 points per game, ranking 24th in the nation. Meanwhile, Tulane ranks 124th with 18.4 points per game. The defense has played well, especially against the run, even if the numbers don’t really show it. Tulane has a Pro Football Focus (PFF) coverage grade of 57.1 through five games.
On the other hand, many talk about Marcus Stokes and how good he’s been under center for Memphis, but none of this would be possible without Jaylin Carter, who has eight touchdowns on 89 carries through six games. Carter is averaging 7.2 yards a carry, so it’ll be interesting to see if Tulane’s biggest strength on defense can stop Carter.
At home, you’d like to think Tulane will keep up. But the offensive line will likely have a lot of issues holding up against Memphis. Therefore, I’ll back Memphis -7 on the road.
Pick: Memphis -7 (-108)
Washington Huskies at Purdue Boilermakers
The Washington Huskies are in jeopardy of falling below .500 with a loss to the Purdue Boilermakers tonight.
Washington will likely be without starting quarterback Demond Williams Jr. and is also 0-3 in conference play entering this one. Washington was ranked ahead of Purdue in the Big Ten preseason rankings but already has two conference wins.
If Williams can’t go, which seems likely, despite his questionable status, it’ll be Elijah Brown at quarterback.
Williams is a highly touted quarterback, but a change may be necessary. Brown entered the game against Iowa early last weekend and threw for 251 yards and three touchdowns without an interception.
Meanwhile, Purdue has won two consecutive games, holding opponents to 17 points or fewer in both matchups. Yet, PFF still gave Purdue a coverage grade of 43.2, one of the worst in the Big Ten.
Prior to their two Big Ten wins, Purdue allowed 52 points to UCLA and 49 to Notre Dame. Brown might get his opportunity and shine.
I’ll make a surprise call and take Washington +3.5 on the road tonight. You can also consider the Huskies at +140 on the Moneyline.
Pick: Washington +3.5 (-115)