Somebody in Columbus has had Saturday circled in red since December. Our college football picks for Week 7 start with that grudge: No. 4 Ohio State visits No. 5 Indiana, and the line says this one is close to a coin flip.
Here is the quick version. The Buckeyes open as 3.5-point favorites, with a total of 51, according to VegasInsider’s Week 7 odds. Kickoff is noon ET, per Ohio State’s game center. However, Indiana’s own page still lists the time as TBA, so double-check before you set the alarm.
College football predictions: Ohio State at Indiana, the revenge game that is not quite revenge
Ohio State is 5-1, while Indiana is 6-0. That alone tells you why the Hoosiers are getting respect at home.
The history matters too. Indiana beat Ohio State 13-10 in the Dec. 6 Big Ten Championship Game, according to 10TV. It was the Hoosiers’ first win in the series since 1988. So yes, Saturday is a rematch, and nobody in Columbus has forgotten it.
The moneyline is Ohio State -165 and Indiana +145. As a result, bettors have to decide whether the favorite’s talent edge is worth more than a field goal and a half.
The experts are split, which is fair. CBS Sports’ Chris Hummer likes Indiana to cover, calling for a 24-21 Ohio State win. That means he takes the points and trusts the Hoosiers to stay close. Meanwhile, Covers backs Ohio State.
CBS also points out that Ohio State has not been truly tested since blowing a 20-point lead to Texas. It adds that Indiana is showing a few cracks after looking unbeatable last year.
Both things can be true, and that is why this number is so tight.
Notre Dame at BYU: Week 7 picks for the two unbeaten Top 10 teams
If you want a pure heavyweight fight, look west. No. 2 Notre Dame (6-0) plays at No. 8 BYU (5-0) in Provo on Saturday. Kickoff is 5:30 p.m. MT on ABC, according to BYU Athletics.
It is the only matchup of unbeaten Top 10 teams this week, per Sports Betting Dime. It also has a little extra edge. Notre Dame and BYU were the first two teams left out of the last College Football Playoff field, according to KSL. Neither team has forgotten it (grudges are apparently the theme of the week).
The spread depends on where you look. CBS lists Notre Dame at -11.5. Sports Betting Dime had -10.5 earlier in the week. Shop the number before you lock in college football picks, because a point and a half can decide a bet.
Here is the injury note that matters. BYU running back LJ Martin is not available, per CBS’s Brad Crawford.
The two CBS writers disagree again, which is the fun part. Hummer takes BYU and the points, picturing a 31-20 Notre Dame win. Crawford lays the points with the Irish and goes 31-14. Covers also likes Notre Dame to cover.
The rest of the Week 7 board and our college football best bets
The slate does not stop there. Alabama visits Tennessee on Saturday afternoon, and Florida heads to Texas, where the Longhorns are 10-point favorites at noon ET, according to VegasInsider. NCAA.com counts six ranked-versus-ranked games in all. If you missed last week’s action, our Week 6 picks and the case for the under show how these lines have been moving.
Here’s the thing: Week 7 has real playoff weight for the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12 teams trying to protect their records. That is not a slogan. One slip in October can follow a team all the way to selection Sunday. For more context on the season so far, see our Week 6 guide to the big games.
One bit of housekeeping. The New York Times’ own Week 7 picks column is the spark for this roundup, but we could not pull its text. Instead, the picks above come from CBS Sports and Covers, not the Times.
Our read? Take the points and enjoy both games. The lines say the sharpest bettors expect a game that comes down to the last drive in Bloomington. Want the full rundown of last week’s marquee matchups? Check our look at how Georgia-Alabama headlined a loaded slate.
And if it does come down to the last drive, the Hoosiers have already shown they can close.
