College Football Games to Watch Week 9: Matchups, Info, Odds

Henry John

Last Updated: January 1, 0001 12:00 AM EST • 4 min 15 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Breaking down the opening odds and early betting action for some of the biggest matchups on the Week 9 college football schedule.

Somehow, there are only five weeks remaining in the college football regular season. While the end of the line is sadly coming quickly, the best football undoubtedly still lies ahead. Conference standings battles across the country continue to grow more intense. The College Football Playoff race could also be impacted heavily by several high-profile Week 9 matchups.

Here are the top seven games to watch in Week 9 of the 2022 college football season (all odds via DraftKings Sportsbook).

College Football Week 9 Games to Watch

(2) Ohio State vs. (13) Penn State

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, Noon ET
TV: FOX
Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Odds: OSU -15.5 | O/U 61

The Big Ten clash in Happy Valley between Ohio State and Penn State is the only Week 9 game featuring a pair of top-15 teams. Given that the Buckeyes have the luxury of hosting Michigan in Columbus this season, a win on Saturday will put them in an excellent position to finish with a perfect regular-season record.

The Nittany Lions were able to rebound from an ugly loss to the Wolverines this past week with a rout of Minnesota. It was a strong effort by the Penn State defense, but facing Minnesota’s backup QB is a whole lot different than what lies ahead on Saturday. Quarterback CJ Stroud and the electric Ohio State receiving corps are laying north of two touchdowns on the road.

Notre Dame vs. (16) Syracuse

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, Noon ET
TV: ABC
Location: JMA Wireless Dome, Syracuse, NY
Odds: SYR -3 | O/U 47

On one hand, Syracuse was extremely impressive in building up a two-score lead and denying the Clemson offense for the better part of the game. On the other hand, one could argue that the only reason the Orange had a shot to win was because of turnovers and self-inflicted wounds by the Tigers.

As far as the college football betting market is concerned, Syracuse appears to be getting the benefit of the doubt. The Orange have been bet up from 1-point home favorites to now laying a full field goal in Week 9 against Notre Dame. In fact, the very first line to hit the market for this game at Circa Sportsbook in Las Vegas actually favored the Fighting Irish by two.

Florida vs. (1) Georgia

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Location: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL
Odds: UGA -22.5 | O/U 56.5

When one thinks of the sport’s greatest rivalries, the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party certainly comes to mind. Georgia’s recent success at the national level has been positively correlated with its performance in this series. The Bulldogs defeated the Gators in four of their last five meetings.

Early line movement appears to be favoring Georgia for this year’s edition of the rivalry. The Bulldogs are currently laying 22 or more points across the market. The game total has also shot up to 56.5 after opening at 51.5. Given how bad the Gators’ defense has been, it might not be done climbing just yet.

(9) Oklahoma State vs. (22) Kansas State

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Location: Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Manhattan, KS
Odds: KSU -1.5 | O/U 56

How a beaten-and-battered Oklahoma State team managed to knock off Texas last week remains one of life’s greatest mysteries. Another one of those mysteries is how a football game of any sort can possibly feature a 14-0 disparity in penalties, but we’ll save that discussion for another day. The Cowboys have another tough test looming in Week 9 against Kansas State.

While the opening odds favored Oklahoma State, sharp action quickly caused the spread to move through pick’em in KSU’s favor. One of the big components bettors must monitor when handicapping this game is the quarterback position for K-State. Both starter Adrian Martinez and backup Will Howard sustained injuries last week in the Wildcats’ loss to TCU.

(20) Cincinnati vs. UCF

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, FL
Odds: PICK | O/U 56

Saturday’s showdown between Cincinnati and UCF could very well be a preview of the eventual AAC Championship Game. The issue for both of these teams is that they have to go through each other. For the Knights, a win in Week 9 is vital after sustaining a conference loss to East Carolina last week in the dreaded lookahead spot.

The Bearcats first opened as 2-point road favorites, but the odds now view this game as an even pick’em. A few Las Vegas shops even list UCF as a 1-point home favorite. Given how Cincinnati has been barely escaping against lesser AAC opponents, bettors can probably assume that any future line movement will also go in the Knights’ direction.

North Texas vs. Western Kentucky

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: Stadium
Location: Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium, Bowling Green, KY
Odds: WKU -10 | O/U 69

Fans of offense and high-scoring games will want to make sure to tune in for this Conference USA matchup on Saturday afternoon. Look no further than an Over/Under line of 69 to get an idea of the fireworks expected between North Texas and Western Kentucky.

Upping the stakes for this contest is the fact that the two teams come in tied for second place in the conference standings. The Mean Green lost by four on the road against league-leading UTSA just last week. Meanwhile, the Hilltoppers lost by only three when they visited the Alamodome earlier this month. One has to wonder if the current 10-point spread in favor of WKU is a bit rich.

(19) Kentucky vs. (3) Tennessee

Date: Saturday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
Odds: TENN -13 | O/U 63.5

Is a letdown imminent in Knoxville? Tennessee caught a bit of a break by getting to play a cupcake FCS opponent this past week after the monumental win over Alabama. It’s back to the SEC grind for the Volunteers in Week 9, as a formidable Kentucky team will pay a visit to Rocky Top. The Wildcats also figure to be well-rested and prepared for battle off a bye week.

The fact that the game total has come down a full point could potentially foreshadow a line move in favor of Kentucky. Perhaps the Wildcats’ sturdy defense can become the first to keep the Volunteers’ dynamic offense in check. Tennessee will undoubtedly be the public side, but bettors should probably anticipate the spread getting smaller between now and kickoff.

Where to Bet on Week 9 College Football

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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.