Week 9 Nevada College Pick'em Contest Picks

I'm nowhere close to making money, but fortunately for me, I didn't actually enter the contest. Next week marks the end of the 10-week William Hill Nevada College Pick'em Contest, and with so many contestants within a game of each other for a spot in the top 10, the next two weeks will play a huge factor in whether or not someone goes home with a nice chunk of change or not. Listed above are the lines and games you can pick from for Week 9, along with the overall standings. 

North Carolina (-7.5) vs. Virginia

The Tar Heels may be 7-1, but four of those wins have been by just one score. However, after trailing at the half last week against Pittsburgh, North Carolina outscored the Panthers, 28-7, in the second half and won with ease. As for Virginia, well, they lost in quadruple overtime to Miami (FL), 14-12, last week and the offense simply looks lost. To make matters worse, the Cavaliers are 3-5 and haven't scored more than 20 points against an FBS team all season long. UNC has had little trouble putting up points this season, and despite being on the road, the Drake Maye and the Tar Heels' offense should be able to pull away by two scores late in this one. Virginia has done a good job as an underdog (3-2) this year, but the Cavs offense simply can't be trusted. 

Florida (+3.5) vs. Texas A&M

It's been a disappointing season for Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies, and even if A&M wins on Saturday, that will still remain the case. Texas A&M gave Ole Miss everything they could handle last week in a 31-28 loss, but yet again, they fell short. Same thing happened three weeks ago against Bama, and two weeks ago against South Carolina. This team just can't win the close game, and that's why Florida +3.5 is the way to go. The Gators played Georgia tough last week, and despite having lost back-to-back games, Florida is slowly but surely improving each week. This game is probably going to come down to a game-winning field goal, and with the line at 3.5, taking the points is the best option. 

Iowa vs. Purdue (-4.5)

Iowa looked better last week offensively against Northwestern, but that's not saying much. The Wildcats have lost six straight and are just 1-7 on the season. So, there's nothing to really get excited about if you're the Hawkeyes. However, Purdue got smoked two weeks ago against Wisconsin, but fortunately for the Boilermakers, they've had two weeks to prepare for Iowa. Iowa's defense may keep this game close for a while, but Aidan O'Connell and the Purdue offense should be able to pull away by at least six in the second half. The Hawkeyes are averaging the seventh-fewest points in college football, and counting on them to get over 14 is asking a lot. Purdue is pretty much guaranteed to put up 21 points, so without hesitation, take the Boilermakers to cover.

Tennessee (+8.5) vs. Georgia

The top team via the CFP rankings is getting +8.5 points on the spread. Let me repeat that, the top team in the CFP rankings is getting, not giving, 8.5 points. Over 90% of the bets on this game have been in favor of Tennessee, and if you thought I was one of 10% taking Georgia on the spread, well, you thought wrong. The Volunteers offense might just be the best in college football — ask Alabama if you don't believe me — and Georgia's offense has struggled at times this season. I'd be surprised if the Volunteers win, but with two teams equally as good as one another, a one-score game is pretty much a guarantee.

Penn State (-13.5) vs. Indiana

Penn State nearly pulled off the upset last week against Ohio State, and don't be surprised if they take it to Indiana this week. The Hoosiers just lost top receiver Cam Camper for the season, and for an offense that has struggled all season long, that might be the nail in the coffin on the 2022 season. The Nittany Lions offense has scored 30+ points in consecutive weeks, and Sean Clifford has had himself a really nice season. It might take PSU up until the fourth quarter to go up by 14, but Indiana simply can't be trusted. 

BYU vs. Boise State (-7.5)

Boise State fired its offensive coordinator after an embarrassing performance against UTEP, and since then, the Broncos haven't lost. And more importantly, the offense has been a whole lot better. BSU has scored 35+ points in three of its last four games, and after starting the season 4-1, BYU has dropped four straight. With two teams trending in opposite directions, always take the team trending upward, which is Boise State. I'm surprised this line isn't closer to 8.5 or 9.5, but hey, you're not going to hear me complain. Take the Broncos at home against a BYU team that has been just terrible the last month.

Wake Forest (-4.5) vs. North Carolina State

This is our least confident pick this week, but we're going to assume Wake Forest bounces back after getting smoked last week against Louisville. Since Wolfpack QB Devin Leary went down the season, NC State has failed to score more than 22 points in a game. And fewer than 30 points won't give NC State a shot against the Demon Deacons. WF is averaging just under 40 points a game, and there's no shot NC State is putting up 40 in this one. Trust Sam Hartman and the Demon Deacons to get back on track this week, and more importantly, cover the 4.5-point spread at home.

UCLA (-10.5) vs. Arizona State

Chip Kelly and the UCLA Bruins saw their perfect season come to an end three weeks ago against Utah, but they responded last week with a 38-13 win over Stanford. Meanwhile, Arizona State fired head coach Herm Edwards earlier in the year, are just 3-5 overall, and barely squeaked by Colorado last week. COLORADO! The one-win Buffaloes nearly beat ASU. That's bad. Now give ASU credit, they scored 42 points and put up 557 yards of total offense, but they also gave up 34 points and 359 yards of total offense to one of the worst teams, let alone offenses, in college football. And in case you're not aware, UCLA has a great offense, and one of the best dual threats quarterbacks in the nation in Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Don't be surprised if the Bruins score 50 on ASU, and win by 21 or more. Ride UCLA with the utmost confidence.