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College Football Picks: Best Week 5 Moneyline Bets

Brenden Schaeffer

Last Updated: September 28, 2022 8:32 AM EDT • 2 min 44 sec read.

Each week during the college football season, we’re identifying the top moneyline bets for building your bankroll. Read on for our top moneyline bets for Week 5 of the college football season.

Can Kansas open Big 12 play with a home upset? Is Duke getting enough respect for its turnaround? And should Nebraska really be favored over anybody at this point?

Here are our top moneyline bets for Week 5 of the college football season (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Top College Football Moneyline Bets for Week 5

  • Kansas (+140 via FanDuel) ★★★★
  • Duke (-125 via DraftKings) ★★★★
  • Indiana (+190 via FanDuel) ★★★

Check out the latest comprehensive and most trusted Sportsbook Reviews by SBR.

Top College Football Week 5 Moneyline Predictions

Kansas (+140) ★★★

Jalon Daniels is for real. Kansas and its star quarterback don’t seem to be getting enough love in this spread (Iowa State -3.5) for an offense that ranks tied for seventh in FBS with 47 points per game. KU’s points-per-play margin ranks 15th in FBS. These are elite offensive numbers from a team with a genuine Heisman candidate at the helm.

I don’t have the faintest idea how the Iowa State defense is supposed to slow down Daniels this week. The Cyclones were picked apart by Baylor’s efficient quarterback Blake Shapen for three passing touchdowns last week. Daniels might do that and run for another two. Iowa State simply hasn’t had to prepare for a quarterback with his dual-threat capabilities.

The Cyclones’ rock-solid ranking - tied for 16th in FBS with just 16 PPG allowed to their opponents - is about to be rock-chalked. When it happens, I don’t see how this Cyclones offense keeps pace. Iowa State wins with ball control, running 42nd in FBS in time of possession percentage. But ranking 70th in the same stat, KU doesn’t mind letting opponents hold the ball for awhile.

Once the Jayhawks get the ball into the hands of their quarterback, though, look out. It doesn’t take long for him to put six on the board.

Duke (-125) ★★★★

Duke still isn’t getting enough credit and this belief coincides with the notion that Kansas isn’t, either. If we buy the premise that the Kansas offense is elite, then there’s no shame in Duke taking the 35-27 loss last weekend in Lawrence.

Duke ranks 37th in FBS in total offense at 461 yards per game and has also played capable defense. Its opponents are averaging 19.3 PPG, a mark that ranks 28th in the nation. The balanced combination of offense and defense for Duke has the team in position to overwhelm a pretty rough Virginia team in Week 5.

The Cavaliers have a capable defense that allows just 20 points per game, but the most explosive offense it has faced to date is probably Illinois'. Virginia is 0-3 against FBS opponents on the year, including 0-2 on the road. Duke is 2-0 at home and should have no problem outpacing the nation’s 123rd-ranked scoring offense (13 PPG).  

Indiana (+190) ★★★★★

Why are we still giving Nebraska credit for anything? If the sportsbooks were banking on the home-field environment being a benefit to the Huskers against Indiana, they should ask Scott Frost how that worked out for him when Nebraska hosted Georgia Southern.

Nebraska ranks 94rd in FBS in points per play margin and Indiana ranks 86th. Indiana’s defense is a moderate concern given the Hoosiers’ ranking at 84th in FBS in points per game allowed to their opponents (31.7). Of course, Nebraska has coughed up a full 10 additional PPG (41.7) and ranks 118th in FBS with arguably the worst defense in the Big Ten.

Indiana QB Connor Bazelak is a competent playmaker who just managed 24 points at Cincinnati. He’s going to pick Nebraska apart because, well, everybody does. The Huskers are 0-2 ATS as a home favorite, and the only outright win of their season was against South Dakota.

Fading Nebraska has been free money, so we’re comfortable putting that theory to the test for another week.

Where to Bet on College Football Moneyline Picks

Here are our top-rated sportsbooks:

FanDuel Sportsbook
Caesars Sportsbook
DraftKings Sportsbook
PointsBet
BetMGM

SEE ALSO: All picks, odds, and sports betting news. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

College football moneyline picks made 9/27/2022 at 1:22 a.m. ET.

Written By:
Brenden Schaeffer
Brenden has covered the St. Louis Cardinals as a credentialed baseball writer for KMOV-TV since 2016. His sports writing has appeared in outlets including the Austin American-Statesman and Columbia Daily Tribune. Since 2021, Brenden has co-hosted 'The Big Show' during the afternoon drive for KTGR, the ESPN radio affiliate in Columbia, MO. He has appeared on radio stations around the country, including KMOX, and hosts a daily St. Louis Cardinals podcast. In the sports betting content space, Brenden has covered the NFL, college football, NBA, and college basketball for outlets including SBR since 2019. For his football handicapping, Brenden looks to target NFL player prop markets as well as sharp underdog lines in college football. Brenden looks to reference FanDuel for his sports betting articles because of its consistently competitive odds on parlays. FanDuel's boost offerings are also customer-friendly, and its odds on the NFL Same Game Parlay articles he's written for SBR have historically been consistently competitive compared to other books.